A Part of Me, A Part of You
by AsLostAsAliceAsMadAsTheHatter
Summary: The Wolf Shifters and Vampires have hated each other for centuries. A small group of shifters, the Precon Guard, protect their Intendeds, humans they are destined to save from the Vampires. Few things are known about the Precon Guard, but it is known that a vampire can never be an Intended. A baby is about to be born that will destroy the notion of beliefs and the idea of love.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Long ago, when the races of the vampires and the shape shifters were just beginning, a great feud began between the two them. A shapeshifter had been killed by a vampire, but it was not intentional. The child had just begun to shift, and had not yet learned to control it, thus remaining in human form rather than wolf form. The vampire was also newly born, and was merely hunting and did not realize that they had stumbled upon one of their brethren. He killed it, draining their blood.

It wasn't until later at the meeting of the councils that he discovered what he'd done. He confessed to his actions, angering the shapeshifters. A war broke out, killing many from each side, and sowing hate into the minds of everyone involved. The two races parted ways after many bloody and costly battles, unable to stand the sight of each other. The leaders of each council forbade the two species to interact, and for centuries they stayed apart, the only contact accidental and resulting in death.

Millennia passed, and soon the reason for the feud was forgotten but the hatred still lingered. Humans began advancing, civilizations springing up around the globe. While the vampires fed and survived using the humans as their food source, the shape shifters sought to protect them if only to anger the vampires. Unfortunately, the humans were as afraid of the shifters as they were of the vampires, and began to kill them. The shifters, angered by their insolence, vowed never to help them again.

Unfortunately, the matter was out of their hands. The concept of soulmates was as old as time, but the phenomenon usually didn't befall a shifter. But it appeared, as the Middle Ages came to an end, that mating within packs was no longer an option. Not only were their numbers dwindling as human weaponry became more advanced, but the need to survive drove them to drastic measures. They began to marry humans in a desperate act to save their species, and discovered some rather odd effects as a result, such as being born with the ability to have a soul mate, something they had previously been unaffected by.

Some shifters were born longing for a soul mate, and some found them, but most learned to live with the void. It was soon discovered that not only could shifters be born with the longing for a soul mate, a select few could be born with a specific person they were meant to protect. It was believed to be an alteration of a soul mate, only discovered after a few centuries of having children with humans. Said people meant to be protected eventually came to be referred to as the Intended.

A small handful was born every few centuries, and most spent the majority of their life seeking out their Intended. Most never found the person they were destined to protect, or didn't make it in time, but those that did described the feeling as two puzzle pieces fitting together, and often became good friends with their intended. Since such births were so rare and so infrequent not much was known about the odd bond the shifters shared with humans. The only thing they were certain of was that the Intended were never vampires.

Centuries passed and the cycle continued. The feud was slowly forgotten, hatred dimming to mutual dislike in most cases. The Precon Guard, as the few shifters born with Intended came to be known, continued to be born sporadically throughout the centuries, keeping the vampires in check and ensuring humanity's survival.

It was a system which worked, and for the most part kept all the species at peace and in balance. But what neither race knew was that a baby was about to be born that would destroy the notion of normality, of anything they thought they knew of soul mates, and anything they knew of the Intendeds.


	2. A Meeting

Savannah Edwards came screaming into the world on January 24, 1982 to Marissa and Ethan Edwards. The parents looked down on their daughter, stunned. They had expected a boy, had been certain it would be a son, as they were no ordinary people. They were Shapeshifters, an ancient race that, once they had gone through puberty, changed into the form of a wolf at will. Due to genetic coding, male births were more prominent than females, which was one of the reasons why the Shifters had been forced to marry humans centuries before. Luckily for Ethan, he had managed to find a wife in another Shifter, though a birth defect prevented her from accessing her wolf form.

They gazed at the tiny wailing being they had created, still stunned that they had been blessed with a girl.

"What should we name her?" Ethan asked.

"Well," Marissa said thoughtfully as she stroked her child's head, "we had decided on Savan when we thought we were having a boy. Why not Savannah? It's the female form of Savan."

"It's perfect," Ethan said, stroking his daughter's cheek.

As they watched their child begin to nurse, they made a silent vow. Their species was already in danger of being wiped out by humans and should they be found, they knew the humans wouldn't hesitate to kill their daughter along with them. Thus, they decided never to tell their child what she was, choosing instead to raise her as an ordinary human. It was for the best, they thought as they tried to convince themselves of their decision, but they couldn't shake the sadness their choice brought them.

* * *

Savannah sighed as she trudged toward Bailey Elementary to begin her third grade year. Yet again she had woken up with the feeling as though something was missing from her life, and yet again she couldn't figure out what it could possibly be. She dreaded the coming year, wishing she never had to go to school again.

So absorbed was she in her thoughts that she didn't notice the petite woman in front of her. She collided with her back, sending both of them toppling to the ground.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" Savannah hurried to apologize, scrambling up and offering the woman her hand. "I should have been paying more attention to where I was going. Are you all right?"

"I believe so," the woman answered in thick but beautiful accent that made the girl's breath catch.

She lifted her head, looking up at the child that had knocked her over. She felt her breath hitch for some inexplicable reason as she gazed upon the little girl. For a child she was pretty, already showing signs of the beautiful woman she would one day become. Wavy black hair, ice blue eyes, and delicate cheekbones, she could be mistaken for a child model.

Savannah was having a similar reaction as she gazed upon the woman looking at her in wonder, her arm dropping in her shock. Long fire red hair framed a pale face with high cheekbones and incredibly beautiful emerald green eyes. She had never seen a woman that was so pretty, and for some reason the stranger felt familiar to her. Shaking her head to knock herself out of her stupor, she once again extended her hand, which the woman accepted.

Cool skin met her own warm hand, and as she helped the woman to her feet she marveled at the contrast between the milky whiteness and her own tan. The woman gasped as the little girl easily picked her up.

"I really am sorry," Savannah apologized again, reluctantly releasing the woman's hand.

"It is quite all right," the redhead responded.

"So are you a new teacher or something?" Savannah asked, resuming her trek toward the school. "You're heading to the school and I've never seen you before."

"Why yes, I have just moved to America and have taken a job at the elementary school."

"Well, I hope you come to love Bailey City a much as I do. I'm Savannah by the way, Savannah Edwards."

"Thank you very much, Savannah. My true name is too hard to pronounce, but you may call me Mrs. Jeepers."

The name somehow fit the strange woman, and Savannah smiled.

"Well, I'm glad to meet you, Mrs. Jeepers," she said.

They arrived at the school and both looked up at the building, one with intrigue and the other with disdain and hatred. They parted ways, Savannah entering her teacher's classroom and watched Mrs. Jeepers as she headed for the office. It was to her immense annoyance that she found the older redhead was a third grade teacher, which she discovered later in the day while talking to some of her friends in the woman's class.

"Wait, Mrs. Jeepers is your teacher?" Savannah asked Howie, Melody, Liza and Eddie at recess.

"Yeah, and she's completely crazy," Eddie said, hanging upside down from the limb of the oak tree.

Savannah cocked her head, an intense urge to slap the boy rising in her chest. She pushed it down, confused by the sudden urge to defend a woman she had only met that morning.

"Eddie, she's not crazy!" Melody snapped. "She's just a little...weird."

"Weird how?" Savannah asked.

"Well first off there's her freaky green eyes. They flash if she's mad and it's seriously creepy. Then there's her brooch, which she rubs almost obsessively. And her weird accent, don't get me started. I vant to suck your blood!"

Eddie nearly fell out of the tree as he began laughing, and to the girls' annoyance Howie joined in.

"That was mean, Eddie," Liza said.

"So? We've only had her one day and already I'm trying to think of the best scheme to make her quit," the redhead argued.

Savannah felt an inexplicable pang of fear at the thought of the beautiful woman leaving.

"I like her," she said, causing the group to stare at her in disbelief.

"How do you know her? You're not even in our class," Howie pointed out.

"I might have accidentally run into her this morning. Literally," she explained with a blush.

"You what?!" the four chorused, slightly afraid of the idea of touching their teacher, much less actually running into her.

"Yeah, I knocked her down. She was really nice about it, and she forgave me."

"You're lucky," Melody said seriously.

"Oh come on guys, she can't be that bad."

"She makes Eddie behave," Howie deadpanned.

Savannah's eyes widened. No teacher in the history of ever had made Eddie behave. Perhaps there was more to the woman than met the eye.

The bell rang, signalling the end of recess, and as Savannah headed back into the building she caught a flash of red and a hint of green, and couldn't help but stare as the woman led her friends back to their room in an orderly fashion. There was something about Mrs. Jeepers that called to her, almost as if she should know her somehow, and for once, though she didn't notice it as she was too busy trying to catch a glimpse of the woman, she felt complete.


	3. Throw Myself Away

Mrs. Jeepers sighed as the bell rang, ending her first day as an elementary school teacher. It hadn't been bad, not nearly as bad as she'd expected. The students had been fooled by her detached persona, just as she'd hoped. They had no idea that on the inside she was a bundle of nerves. She could feel herself beginning to settle down as she watched them file out of the room chatting and laughing, and as soon as the last child had left she released a long sigh, feeling the last of the tension leave her body.

She slumped forward, her forehead landing on the desktop. She could do this, she could do this. It would be easy. So far no one had noticed that she wasn't exactly...normal. Well, at least she didn't think anyone had. Perhaps some of the children, but no one would believe a few eight year olds. Lifting her head off of her desk, she gathered her belongings and began getting ready to leave for the day.

She paused suddenly, feeling as though she was being watched. Instantly she was back to her cold and strict disguise, whipping around at nearly inhuman speed and allowing her eyes to sweep across the room. They lingered on the door to the hallway before moving on, but she didn't move from her position behind her desk.

* * *

Savannah knew she shouldn't, she really did, but she just had to see the new teacher one more time before she went home. So she crept up to her door in the ruckus that was after school and waited, letting all the kids leave before leaning around the edge. She watched as the woman all but collapsed onto her desk, and had the urge to find out what was wrong. She fought it, forcing herself to keep still lest she give herself away.

She kept her eyes on the woman as she stood and began gathering various materials. Suddenly she stopped, and Savannah bit back a gasp as she began to turn her head with unnatural speed. She barely ducked behind the doorframe before green eyes were staring at where she had just been. She waited until she heard her resume picking up her things before bolting for the exit, wondering why she couldn't have just gone home like a normal kid.

* * *

Mrs. Jeepers walked home feeling uneasy. The feeling only grew when she noticed a group of her students standing on the sidewalk in front of her new home. She pulled her disguise around her like a cloak, stepping up behind them and internally smirking as they jumped.

"Good afternoon, children. I see you have noticed my new home," she said.

"You mean you're going to live here?" a blonde boy that she remembered being called Howie asked.

His tone implied that he, and most likely the rest of his friends, was not only shocked but slightly frightened or startled. Sensing the chance to instill more fear in them, and thus force them to keep their distance, she smiled slightly.

"Yes, is it not lovely? Would you like to come in and see it?"

She watched as their eyes lit up in fear and they refused.

"We have to get home and do homework," a dark skinned girl, Melody she recalled, spoke up.

"Do not be silly. I did not give you any homework today," she replied, grabbing Melody and Eddie, the class prankster, and dragging them into her house.

She had hoped that taking them inside the house she had yet to clean would frighten them enough so that not only would they listen to her, they'd never ask any personal questions. To her dismay, that was the first thing they did. Did she live alone? No, she answered, not exactly, though she did get lonely. Finally, it appeared as though they'd had enough and they rushed out, citing that she might want to clean up.

She grinned as they fled, pleased her plan had worked so well. Next were the moving men, who she paid for their services, including a sizable tip to make them forget they'd ever seen her. After they left she heaved another sigh, this one of exhaustion, before heading up the stairs to the room she'd taken as her bedroom. She dropped her purse by the doorframe, staring at all the boxes and the unmade bed. Frowning, she began unpacking, starting with her clothes and other accessories before making the bed and putting her books on her bookshelf.

When she was finished she looked around the room, nodding in satisfaction. Noticing how much time had passed since she'd begun, she stripped off the dress she'd chosen, which she hated, and changed into her yoga pants and a t-shirt. Her brooch was placed onto her dresser where she could keep an eye on it, and she collapsed back onto her bed, content to get a short nap before she was forced to find dinner.

Unfortunately, sleep eluded her. Groaning in frustration, she began thinking back over the events that had led to her move.

First, her family had gotten caught up in a small war between rival clans, and, being vampires, the war of course turned deadly. She gritted her teeth as a wave of longing tore through her, reminding her of why her family had gotten into the dispute in the first place. The Ionesco clan had presented her with one of their men as a husband, and she did not love him, could not love him, for she held a secret-she had a soul mate. The man who was her husband was not pleased to learn, after their marriage, which she had been forced into to keep peace between her family and his, that she did not love him. The Ionesco clan was already on bad terms with the Lungu clan, and when the Lungu elders heard of the disagreement they proposed her family join them in taking down her husband's family.

Love him she didn't, but she also didn't want to kill him. This drew her family into the conflict and created a three-way disagreement which eventually escalated to all-out war. Her husband was the first to die, and then her father among others from all sides. Her mother, fearing for her safety after her father had been killed, begged her to go away, far away, and hide. Seeing the destruction the war had wrought, and sensing her mother's pain, she did as she asked and ran to America, changing her identity and hiding away in a small town. She adopted a personality completely opposite of her true self, one that dove people away. It was dangerous to be associated with her because should anyone find out who she truly was she had no doubt they would not hesitate to kill them along with her.

Which was why, she thought as the longing dimmed, she could never find her soul mate. It would only result in them dying. Oddly enough, this was the worst the emptiness had affected her since she was a child, and even then it had simply been as though she was missing a part of herself, but she had learned to live with it years before.

This, for some inexplicable reason, made her think of the little girl she had met that morning, the one who had knocked her down. Savannah, she thought her name was. There was something about the girl that made her uncomfortable. Perhaps it was the way she had been looking at her, almost as if she was her hero or someone famous. Or perhaps it was the fact that she was incredibly strong for a child. Or maybe it was the way she had been watching her all day, including the end of the day outside her classroom.

There was something about the girl that bothered her, a difference that she couldn't place. She supposed it could be her nearly unearthly beauty, but that shouldn't make her so upset. What was it? She pondered over it for nearly an hour before giving up and concluding she had no clue what was upsetting her. Whatever the reason, she was sure it would fade after the girl found some new obsession to capture her attention.

It was dark now, well into the night actually, and she stood, stretching and ignoring the hunger that was beginning to take root in her stomach. She checked her reflection in the mirror of her dresser, re-tying her ponytail before grabbing a thin hooded jacket and putting it on, pulling the hood up to hide her face. She double-checked herself, making sure no one would recognize her in case she was seen

"Well, Adri," she said, addressing her reflection, "time to hunt."

With that, she headed down the stairs, leaving all traces and memories of her former self behind.


	4. Never Again

Savannah couldn't shake the odd feeling she had as she walked home. There was something that drew her to the new teacher, something inexplicable. Sure, she was pretty and seemed nice enough, but that was nothing to make her stand out from other women she had met in her life. And she had moved so quickly in the classroom, faster than any human should be able to. She made a mental note to mention it to her parents when she got home.

Her thoughts abruptly stopped when she noticed moving men bustling around the Clancy estate, carrying various pieces of furniture inside. She stopped, narrowing her eyes and watching for bit until she noticed some of her friends gathered in a group on the sidewalk in front of the old house. Curious, and thinking they may know what was going on, she stepped up beside Melody.

"Hey, do you know who's moving in?" she asked.

"No, but whoever it is has to be crazy. This place has been empty for years!" the girl responded, never taking her eyes away from the house.

Savannah gave a hard look to the possessions the men were carrying inside, but couldn't determine anything about who could be moving in. Shrugging, and deciding it wasn't really that important in the long run, she bid her friend goodbye before resuming her walk home, completely missing the redhead that plagued her thoughts walking down the street behind her.

* * *

"Hey Mom, Dad, guess what;" Savannah said that night at dinner, anxious to tell her parents about the woman she had met that morning.

"What sweetheart?" her father asked.

"We got a new teacher at school. Her name's Mrs. Jeepers and she's really pretty." she said innocently, oblivious to the look her parents shared above her head.

"Really? What grade does she teach?" her mother asked, now curious.

Savannah had never described another woman as really pretty before. Nice, yes, but never had she said anything about appearance.

"Third, but she's not my teacher," Savannah replied, a note of disappointment in her voice.

"If she's not your teacher how did you meet her?" her father asked.

"I accidentally ran into her this morning and we fell down."

"Well I hope you apologized," he said.

"Duh, of course I did, Daddy," the girl said, rolling her eyes. "Guess what else. She's not from America, and she has this weird accent, kind of like Dracula only more normal and pretty."

Ethan's grip on his fork tightened, though Savannah didn't notice, too busy rambling on about the new teacher. Marissa noticed and reached under the table and squeezed his knee, signalling him to relax, all the while continuing to pay attention to their daughter.

"...and she moved super fast," Savannah finished up, drawing her father's attention once again.

"She what?" he whispered, his tone frightening her.

"She...she moved r-really fast," she whimpered, drawing away from her father as his eyes clouded over in anger.

"Savannah, I don't want you speaking to this woman again," Ethan said, glowering.

"But why, Daddy? She seemed really nice."

"Because I said so, that's why."

"But Daddy-"

"No buts! Now go to your room and do your homework or read a book or something."

Tears glittering in her eyes, the little girl ran to her room, not understanding what she had done to make her father so angry. Ethan watched his daughter go, feeling a little guilty for being so rough, but feeling that his anger was warranted. He startled as he felt his wife smack the back of his head. He turned to her and was met with a glare.

"Really Ethan? You had to scare her?" Marissa sighed, taking one of his hands in her own. "I know where you're coming from, I do. But you have to remember that she doesn't know anything about this, if 'this' is even a correct assumption."

He sighed, knowing that his wife was right, and that he had jumped to conclusions. But in his defense, the description of the woman had sounded suspiciously like a Vampire, from her beauty to her voice to her unnatural speed.

"I know honey, but you have to admit, it did sound like…" he trailed off, giving her a look.

"I know, but we can't jump to conclusions. Even if this woman is a Vampire, she doesn't seem interested in hurting Savannah or any of the other children, so I think we should just leave it alone."

"You're right," he reluctantly agreed.

Marissa sensed the path his thoughts were turning toward, and squeezed his hand, forcing his attention to return to her. He looked at her, seeing the wolf flash briefly in her eyes.

"Ethan, promise me you won't bother her. Promise me," she growled, accessing what little of her wolf form she could.

"I promise," he said sincerely.

"Good. We both know what would happen if your assumptions were correct and you were to take her on alone."

Both shuddered. When it came to strength, a Vampire and a Shifter were pretty evenly matched, and usually one or both would be severely wounded, and unfortunately Shifters couldn't heal as quickly as Vampires, meaning they usually died from the injuries they sustained if they walked away from the fight. Their eyes met, understanding flowing between them. Their safety depended on them staying hidden, and that meant they couldn't go after the woman.

"Just because I agreed doesn't mean I like her," Ethan said, standing and beginning to clear the table.

"Can't you forget about the stupid war for our daughter's sake?" Marissa snapped, frustrated that her husband couldn't let go of anger that was centuries old.

"Marissa, you know how I feel about them," he growled, his own wolf flashing in his eyes.

"I know, but we weren't even born then. Even the Elders have all but pushed the matter to the side," she hissed, lowering her voice to a whisper so their daughter wouldn't overhear.

Ethan knew that was true, the Elders had all but forgotten the millennia-old feud between the species, but he was one of the few remaining Shifters that held on to the old hatred for the Vampires. If he had his way they would all be wiped out permanently, no leniency as had been shown the first time.

"No, but those worthless blood suckers shouldn't have been allowed to live, not after what they did," he growled, beginning to have to fight to control his inner wolf.

"Ethan, let it go! It was centuries ago, and they're mostly harmless now!" Marissa screamed.

"Mostly harmless? They kill people to survive, Marissa!" he screamed back.

* * *

In her room, Savannah, whimpered, burying her head under her pillow. Her parents seldom fought, but when they did it was scary. And her father already seemed angry at her, so she knew their argument could very well last for a while. She didn't understand what had made her father so upset. She had only told him about Mrs. Jeepers because she thought her parents would like her. Apparently that wasn't the case.

And now they were screaming about death and war, things she knew were bad. Hot tears began to slip down her cheeks as their anger reverberated in her soul, amplifying the emptiness she felt daily.

"One day," she whispered, "I'm going to find something to fill that space. Or maybe someone. One day…"

She fell asleep to her parents' voices, thoughts of a life where she was complete filling her mind, intermingled with flashes of a beautiful redhead with green eyes.


	5. Promises Broken and Differences Found

As the months passed, the feeling of emptiness grew in both Savannah and Mrs. Jeepers, surprising the older woman as she'd thought she had that particular problem under control. Savannah tried to listen to her father and not speak to the older woman, but something unnameable kept drawing them together. Usually it wasn't for long, maybe a few minutes at most, but it happened oddly frequently. By the end of the year Mrs. Jeepers could have sworn she had had the girl in her class she had seen her so much.

Savannah on the other hand, had gotten used to seeing the woman multiple times a week, and as summer drew nearer she found herself beginning to grow anxious for reasons she couldn't explain. Concerned, her parents took her to a child psychologist, who determined the cause of her nerves to be a case of separation anxiety, and gave her a prescription to bring it under control. The only thing that upset her parents was that they couldn't find out why their daughter had separation anxiety, as it had seemingly shown up out of the blue. So they gave her the prescription and she seemed to go back to normal, but what her parents didn't know was that the pills weren't helping.

Her anxiety grew worse as school dwindled, but rather than end up with more medicine to go with what she already had, she learned to control her symptoms, acting completely happy and normal around her parents. It was when she was alone in her room that she'd let go, usually with tears, crying for emotions she had no name for. The best way she could describe these unknown feelings was fear and loneliness. They ate at her constantly, and as she fought them she learned a few things about herself.

For some reason, she knew she was different than other girls her age. While they had already begun saying they thought certain boys were cute, and generally having small crushes, she never once agreed. She actually had a few crushes on some of the girls in her class, though she hadn't truly realized what those feelings were until she'd asked her mother what a crush felt like, and of course the woman assumed she was asking because of a boy. She had never told her the truth, afraid of getting in trouble.

She had also noticed certain things older girls (and women) had that she didn't. They were….softer somehow. She supposed that could be attributed to the breasts that she didn't yet have, but there was something other than that. They just seemed more...approachable? Likeable? She wasn't entirely sure, but she just knew she preferred them to boys.

That, coupled with her anxiety, made the end of the year a bit rough for her, something that didn't go unnoticed by a certain redhead. Despite her initial unease around the girl, she had grown fond of her during their many encounters and, as with any student placed under her care, didn't like to see her upset. So one day in the last week of school, when the circumstances lined up yet again so that they were able to speak briefly as they had all year long, she pulled the girl to the side, green eyes sparkling with worry as she noticed the dark circles under her eyes and the general air of exhaustion surrounding her.

"Savannah, what is wrong? You seem overly tired," she said, keeping her hand on the girl's shoulder, afraid if she let go the poor girl would fall over.

"I'm fine, just nervous about next year I guess. And most of my friends are going away for the summer, so there's that," Savannah answered, unconsciously allowing the older woman to support her.

"Are you sure? There isn't anything going on at home?"

The girl jerked away, shocked the older woman would think such a thing.

"What? No, of course not!" she protested.

The older woman stepped back, sensing she needed space. Something deep down told her there was something else bothering her, but she wouldn't force her to talk about it.

"Okay sweetheart, calm down," Mrs. Jeepers cooed, not wanting to upset her further. She glanced up, noticing the hallway beginning to empty as students returned to class. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

"I'm fine," Savannah said, unable to look the woman in the eye as she lied.

Mrs. Jeepers' eyes flashed as she picked up on the lie, but she didn't call her out on it. Instead, she offered her a smile and squeezed her shoulder.

"All right. Have a good summer, Savannah," she said, turning to go back to her own classroom.

The girl watched her, her exhaustion preventing her from noticing that for the first time in months she didn't feel nervous or anxious.

* * *

"Come on, Adri, calm down," Mrs. Jeepers said to herself as she paced the length of her bedroom, frantically rubbing her upper arms.

School had been out for a few weeks, and without anything to distract her she found herself thinking of her home, family, and the ever growing emptiness in her soul. It was nearly enough to drive her crazy, and if she kept going at the rate she was she was certain it would. The only problem was she had no clue why the absence of her soul mate was affecting her so deeply after so many years of dealing with it. And she couldn't risk contacting her family, not with their enemies still on the hunt for her.

"La naiba!" she swore. "Nu pot sa mai suport!"

She grabbed a jacket, though she didn't need it, and darted out of the house. She would go for a run or hunt or just wander around, but she couldn't stand being cooped up in her house any longer.

* * *

That was how she spent her summer, brooding, hurting, and running. She was more than glad to see August winding down and September approaching, at least then she would have things to do during the day and evenings to keep her busy. Savannah, on the other hand, was dreading the beginning of school. The summer had only brought greater feelings of emptiness and not belonging. She had spent her summer as isolated as possible, trying to work out her inner emotions and find out why she couldn't seem to feel complete. Unfortunately, she hadn't found an answer by the first day of school.

And she wouldn't, not for another five and a half years, when her life would be changed forever.


	6. Grown Up and Attractive

Savannah took an encouraging breath as she gazed up at the high school. As a freshman, this was her last step to becoming an adult, at least educationally. She glanced at her schedule again before entering through the double doors, praying that she wouldn't be the stereotypical kid that got lost looking for every class. She wandered through the hallways shyly, keeping her eyes down and avoiding as many people as possible in the extremely crowded halls.

She managed to find her homeroom relatively easily, if you call being nearly run over easy. She entered quickly, glad to get out of the pre-class rush. She noticed the teacher at the front of the room out of the corner of her eye, but didn't pay her any attention until she'd selected her seat. Only then did she look up, gasping as she truly saw the woman for the first time.

Savannah had grown up quite a bit, mentally as well as physically. But for all of the changes she had gone through, and all of the things she had omitted or pushed to the side, there was one thing she had never forgotten, at least not completely. Mrs. Jeepers, the beautiful Romanian woman who had begun teaching at Bailey Elementary at the beginning of her third grade year. To her shock, that was the woman calmly sitting at the front of the room looking over some papers.

She inhaled sharply, shocked and pleasantly surprised. She'd always longed to be able to get to know the mysterious woman better, and perhaps this was her chance. Briefly, she debated asking her if she remembered her, but ultimately decided against it. They hadn't really spoken enough to allude to anything, a few minutes here and there, and she felt if she brought it up she'd never be able to get to know her the way she wanted to. And, looking the older woman up and down, she decided she definitely wanted to get to know her better.

She actually couldn't believe she hadn't seen how beautiful the redhead was sooner. Pale ivory skin, haunting green eyes, long wavy red hair and a decent build, she was by all rights gorgeous. Savannah snorted quietly to herself as she recalled a time when she had described her as pretty. She had been so naive and innocent then, nearly sickeningly so.

She was brought back to herself as the bell rang, signalling the beginning of classes. She had been so caught up in her observations and thoughts that she hadn't noticed the room gradually filling up with other students.

Mrs. Jeepers stood, eyes sweeping across the room of freshmen and lingering on one girl in particular. There was something familiar about her, something that she couldn't place and that set her on edge. Shaking herself out of it, she gave the class a small smirk, something she had once heard referred to as a half smile. They grew silent, their eyes riveted to her and their faces exuding fear. She reveled in their reactions, more than she probably should have, but the years of self-imposed loneliness had turned her slightly bitter.

"Good morning, students, and welcome to Bailey High," she said, her eyes glittering as all of them suppressed shivers. Well, all but one. That one young woman with dark hair in the very back corner seemed to be enjoying her voice rather than being terrified by it. "I hope I will not have any trouble this year, but I am sure none of you will cause any. This school is to be your home for the next four years, so I expect you to treat it with respect, as well as your fellow students and teachers. Do I make myself clear?"

Stuttered versions of yes ma'am came from around the room, most uttered quietly, but again, the girl in the corner didn't flinch. She looked her dead in the eye, smirked, and responded clearly. Mrs. Jeepers felt something flicker in her chest, something akin to amusement, and zeroed in on the girl. She was shocked to find said child ogling her, quite unashamedly it seemed, and couldn't stop herself from smirking back. It had, after all, been years since someone had looked at her with that level of desire.

Allowing her gaze to linger on the, admittedly beautiful, girl, she began passing out the required first day papers, including maps and revised schedules. She kept her eye on the girl in the back, raising an eyebrow as she heard the muttered "Son of a bitch!" as she received an updated schedule.

"Miss...Edwards," she said, glancing at her roster. "May I speak with you for a moment?" She seated herself in her desk and waited patiently as the girl made her way to the front. "What is so big of a problem that you must resort to vulgar language?"

"Sorry, Mrs. Jeepers, I just noticed that I now have to take algebra one for my math, and math is my worst subject."

"Oh? And who is your teacher?"

She watched as the girl, Savannah, bit her lip.

"You," Savannah whispered quietly, ashamed of her reaction and slightly worried she had blown her chance to get to know the beautiful redhead.

The older woman drew back, shocked. It wasn't every day that she had such a violent reaction from a student about being in her class. They stared at one another for a minute, and slowly her mind began trying to piece together what was so familiar about the girl. Savannah held her breath as she noticed the scrutinizing gaze, praying she wouldn't connect the dots. If she remembered her before she told her she definitely wouldn't be able to move their relationship beyond that of a student and teacher.

The bell rang, ruining Mrs. Jeepers' concentration.

"Well Miss Edwards, I hope your first day is enjoyable and I will expect you for seventh period."

She gave her a smirk, though it was softer than a true smirk. It had once been referred to as a half-smile, and she could understand why.

"That makes two of us," Savannah said with a smile, shouldering her backpack and leaving the room.

* * *

For the rest of the day leading up to seventh period Mrs. Jeepers couldn't shake the feeling of agitation that consumed her any time she thought of Savannah Edwards. Not only had the girl not been afraid of her, she also appeared to know her. That was of course impossible, as she hadn't recognized any of her students thus far, and some children she had taught were quite memorable. So what kept setting her on edge? Was it the way the girl had looked at her, with obvious desire and lust?

She had no clue, but as the bell for seventh period rang and the last class transition began she found herself half-excited to see the only person not afraid of her and half dreading it. She watched the students file in, surprised to see two of the children she had taught in her first class at Bailey Elementary, Howie and Melody if she remembered correctly. She gave them her "half-smile" as they entered, enjoying the way they paled as they recognized her.

Savannah was one of the last to enter the room, looking vaguely annoyed and exhausted. The girl's eyes brightened as they landed on her, only to widen in fear at the math equations littering the board behind her head. The older woman watched her select a seat in the back as she had in the morning and promptly bang her head on her desk. She cleared her throat and she stopped, looking up at her with a pitiful expression. An eye flash sent the girl scrambling for her notebook and pencil, though she suspected it was more out of fear of failing than fear of her.

"Good afternoon class," she began, standing and addressing them all. "Before we begin I have some class rules I would like to go over…"

* * *

Savannah groaned as she looked over her notes at the end of class. She had made sure to copy down everything her teacher had written on the board, even recording questions from her classmates and their answers. Despite her diligent note taking, the two pages of material still looked like gibberish, and the longer she stared the less legible it appeared. She sighed heavily as she began packing up, stuffing her notebook and textbook into her bag just as the bell rang.

She knew she should probably ask Mrs. Jeepers for help, but she wanted to see if, by some miracle, she could manage to figure out the problems on her own first. She was the last out of the room, opting to the let the others stampede out first and miss getting trampled. She felt green eyes on her as she crossed to the door, but not once did she look back. She did, however, pause as the doorframe.

"Have a good afternoon, Mrs. Jeepers," she said, unable to resist allowing her voice to drop a bit.

She felt rather than saw the shock painted across the older woman's face as she left for the day. Mrs, Jeepers, for her part, barely kept her jaw from dropping. So it was true, the girl was interested in her. She couldn't decide if it was a pleasant or unpleasant surprise. Glancing down, she noticed goosebumps beginning to prick her skin. Okay, so it was pleasant, very very pleasant.

She shook her head, dislodging any thoughts that were attempting to form. She couldn't be interested in a student, could she? It was unethical, not to mention illegal. Looking at the goosebumps that had yet to go away, she decided yes, yes she could be interested in her student. And said student was interested in her.

Oh, this was going to be one interesting year.


	7. Math Sucks

Savannah bit her knuckles to muffle a scream as she tried for what had to be the hundredth time to do her math homework. Since receiving the damn assignment the night before she had successfully rubbed holes in two sheets of paper and ruined three pencil erasers. At the current moment in time she was seated in a corner of the commons, wasting her sixth period lunch trying desperately to get something resembling the answers in her examples. Growling in frustration, she tossed the notebook aside, reluctantly accepting the fact that if she didn't get expert help she was going to fail her algebra class.

Closing her eyes and wincing, she took a calming breath before exhaling, picking up her books and pencil and standing. Checking to make sure the hall monitors weren't looking her way, she slipped down the hall, intent on seeking help before she was forced to turn in her pathetic excuse for homework. Luckily for her, no teachers were wandering the halls, so she was able to make it to her algebra class fairly quickly. She stopped just outside the door, leaning over and peering inside to make sure the older woman was in there. She was, and Savannah entered, her only warning a quick rap of knuckles against the door.

The older woman looked up at the sound, confusion dancing in her eyes and a small smile curving her lips.

"Savannah, what brings you here so early? Or perhaps I did not hear the bell?"

"No, the bell hasn't rung yet," the brunette said, nervously running her fingers through her hair. "I um, I was hoping you could help me with the homework."

"Did you not take notes?" Mrs. Jeepers asked, her eyes flashing.

The homework was fairly simple, and in her mind the only way one would not be able to understand or complete it was if they hadn't taken notes. Savannah winced, embarrassment causing her cheeks to flame red.

"Well, that's the thing. I did take notes, a lot of them, and I have tried to do the assignment, but I just can't understand it."

"You cannot understand it?"

"No."

"May I see your notes?" the redhead asked, thinking that perhaps she had copied something incorrectly. Sheepishly, the girl handed over her notebook. To the woman's surprise, the notes were correct and actually quite diligent, nearly better than her own. "I do not understand. Your notes are very comprehensive and everything seems to have been copied correctly. What is it that you are not understanding?"

"All of it," Savannah mumbled, her eyes glued to the ground.

"Come again?" Mrs. Jeepers asked, thinking she had misheard.

"I don't get any of it," the girl repeated, looking up and staring the older woman directly in the eye for the first time since entering the room. "I try to start a problem and somehow get turned around so badly that the answer I get is nowhere close to what it should be."

"Let me see. Do you have any of the problems you've already finished?"

"No, I got frustrated and erased them all."

"Then please work one out and allow me to watch. Perhaps I will be able to pinpoint your mistake."

"Um...okay," Savannah mumbled, writing down the first problem from the assignment.

Mrs. Jeepers watched over her shoulder as the girl attempted to solve for x, her eyes immediately catching the mistake as it was made. She allowed her to finish the problem, noticing the frustration beginning to build within her as she realized the answer was incorrect.

"See? I get that answer every time, and I know it isn't supposed to be a negative number."

"You are correct, this is completely wrong. However, I believe I have discovered what you are doing wrong."

"Really? What is it?"

"Instead of combining the two variables you need to divide them." She leaned over, writing her steps on the paper. Savannah bit her lip as the older woman's perfume washed over her. She had kept her attraction under control, her frustration making it nearly insignificant, but with the redhead that close it was hard to ignore. "You see? Easy."

"Oh, yeah," Savannah said, shaking herself out of it. "I'm just horrible at math, always have been."

Mrs. Jeepers raised an eyebrow.

"No one is truly horrible at math, one just needs the proper teacher to unlock true potential."

They locked eyes, blue on green, and something shifted. The world shrank as they looked at one another, the silence nearly vibrating around them. It should have been awkward, but for reasons neither knew it just felt right. The moment was broken as the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Savannah looked away first, a blush staining her cheeks.

"Th-thanks for the help," she stuttered, embarrassed though she didn't know why.

"You are welcome," Mrs. Jeepers replied, voice slightly strained.

Savannah took her seat, keeping her head down. As the other students trickled in she worked on her homework, making sure to do it the way she had been shown. To her delight, her answers came out, while perhaps not entirely correct, at least plausible. Sighing happily, she passed it to the front of the row as the older woman collected them, and didn't miss the way green eyes lit in pleasure as they glanced at the papers. She felt her chest warm in happiness, elated she had pleased the older woman.

* * *

As the end of the period approached, Savannah found herself nearly in tears over the latest assignment. She had tried to follow the notes, had even worked it the way she had the previous night's homework, to no avail. As the bell rang she remained in her seat, knowing there was no way she was going to complete the assignment without help. After all the other kids left, she gathered her belongings and trudged up to Mrs. Jeepers' desk. She could sense the older woman's eyes on her as she approached, but she didn't feel judgment in her gaze.

"Do you need some help?" the older woman asked quietly. Savannah nodded, feeling self-conscious that she needed assistance twice in one day. "It's all right, Savannah. It is my job after all."

The girl smiled as she saw the amusement on the redhead's face, her humiliation gradually fading.

"So, I don't understand why I can't solve these problems the same way I could solve the others."

"Ah, I wondered if anyone would be confused. Come here and I will show you the proper way to solve them."

Savannah rounded the desk to stand beside her, internally jumping for joy at how close they were. Mrs. Jeepers, for her part, felt slightly nervous at being so near to someone she knew was attracted to her. She fought it off, instead focusing on helping her student. She watched in pleasure as Savannah solved the problem with very little guidance.

"Good! I knew you could do it!" she praised, placing her hand atop one of the brunette's.

They both jumped as a shock of electricity jumped between them.

"Sorry!" Savannah hurriedly apologized. "Sometimes I randomly shock people."

"It is all right. Electricity is a mysterious thing."

Her brooch seemed to glow, drawing Savannah's eye.

"I really like your brooch. It looks very old."

Green eyes darted from her to the pin and back, a small smile curving her lips.

"It is. I've had it most of my life. It was a gift from my mother for my sixteenth birthday."

Realizing what she'd said, and that perhaps she'd said too much, she quickly glanced up at the girl. To her surprise, there was no surprise on her face, only a soft look and what seemed to be sympathy.

"You must miss her," Savannah said softly.

"I do, more than you know."

The sadness rolling from the older woman was palpable, and before Savannah could think twice she leaned forward and wrapped her in a hug. Mrs. Jeepers tensed, the feeling of the girl pressing against her surprising yet not unpleasant. Sensing she had made her uncomfortable, the girl let go, backing away.

"Sorry, you just seemed so sad," she apologized.

"I...thank you," Mrs. Jeepers said, deciding that it had helped. At least, it had distracted her enough that she forgot what they had been discussing. "Sometimes I forget that there are people who care in the world."

The brunette's eyes narrowed slightly. She sensed something deeper in the statement, but didn't want to push her luck by calling the older woman out on it. Deciding to let it go, she merely smiled before picking up her backpack.

"Well, thanks for the help. I should go, I'm sure you have things to do and my parents are probably wondering where I am."

"You're welcome. Feel free to come to me any time you need assistance."

Smiling, Savannah left, mulling over what the woman had said about people being left in the world who cared. Mrs. Jeepers watched her go, still shocked that she had been given a hug by a girl she barely knew. Perhaps she was just extremely caring, she mused as she began gathering papers. Either way, she hadn't disliked it, and the girl was the first person that treated her as something more than a teacher in a long time.

As she began grading the homework, she found herself wishing that they'd been able to talk longer.


	8. Of Christmas Presents and Lineage

Mrs. Jeepers got her wish. As the year wore on and the subject matter grew more challenging, she discovered Savannah had not been lying about her incapacity for math. In fact, as tests were taken and graded, it seemed she had actually minimized her abilities, or lackthereof. She posed the offer of after school tutoring, which Savannah jumped at not only to improve her grade but for the chance to spend more time with the older woman. Thus began their more personal relationship.

In between bouts of math equations and probabilities and incorrect answers, the two began to talk. It wasn't much at first, just small tidbits of information, mostly from Savannah, like her birthday and what her parents did and how she couldn't wait to leave Bailey City. Gradually, as she came to know her student better, Mrs. Jeepers began to reveal small things about herself, some of which shocked the girl, such as the fact that the older woman was actually very interested in things such as Batman, Pokemon, and Titanic. It somewhat blew the girl's mind, especially the whole thing with Pokemon. That led to more discussions, which in turn led to deeper subjects, and by Christmas the two were more friends than a student and teacher.

Savannah actually wanted the older woman to spend Christmas Day with her family, since she knew she'd be alone, but her parents, mainly her father, vehemently refused. Rather than argue with him as she desired to, Savannah merely bought the older woman a present and took it to school the last day before break. She had managed to get her hands on a Batman shirt, though it only had the bat symbol, and a Poison Ivy shirt. She had managed to find a normal rectangular box that she fit them in, and wrapped it in bright purple paper, which she happened to know was the woman's favorite color. She kept it hidden all day, even during her session with the woman, only revealing it when they were finished.

"Hey, Adri?" Savannah called, catching the woman's attention.

She had given the girl permission to call her by her first name not long before, though the brunette rarely used it.

"Yes, Savannah?"

The girl turned her back, making sure that in removing the package from her bag she kept it hidden. She faced the redhead, hiding it behind her back. The older woman arched an eyebrow, giving a small smile and attempting to lean around to see what she was hiding.

"I um, I have something for you. For Christmas," Savannah said, walking over to her and revealing the brightly colored package.

Mrs. Jeepers' eyes widened. She had been living in Bailey City for nearly eight years now, and since she couldn't contact her family she had spent every holiday alone, and thus hadn't received a present in years. This was something entirely unexpected. She sank into her chair, shock painting her features. Savannah's eyes widened, and, afraid she had somehow upset the older woman, she rushed forward, dropping the gift heavily on the desk.

She crouched in front of the redhead, gently grasping her hands and beginning to rub circles on their backs.

"Hey Adri, come on. Did I upset you? Tell me."

The older woman snapped out of her shock, looking into the girl's eyes and smiling gently. She grasped her hands in return, hoping to emphasize her point.

"Savannah, darling, I am far from upset. This is the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a long while, exempting the hug you gave me the second day of school. Now," she said, dropping her hands, "let's see what this is."

"Um, I don't know if you want to do that here," Savannah said, panicked for the older woman.

If anyone discovered that she wasn't as cold and distant as she seemed then she'd lose not only respect but the fear she instilled in her students, which was what made her classes successful.

"Why not?"

"It's not bad per say, but if anyone saw it could possibly damage the reputation you've managed to build."

"Ah," Mrs. Jeepers said, understanding dawning. "Well, then I shall open it once I get home."

Savannah smiled, popping up and hugging her. She felt arms wrap around her back in return, and she savored the contact. Her attraction to the older woman had not waned, instead the more she learned about her the more it grew. She was nearly desperate to share her feelings, but she didn't want to ruin what they already had. She let go, backing away and picking up her bag.

"Have a good Christmas, Adri," she said.

"You too," the redhead responded.

She watched her go, feeling her absence keenly. Loneliness shrouded her as soon as she was left alone and she sighed. The younger woman's company had been something that she looked forward to the past few months, though it was only for short bouts of time. Frowning, she gathered her belongs and the present, preparing to go home to an empty and less than festive house. The only good thing about winter break, she decided as she turned off the lights in the room, was that she was away from all the judgmental stares of students and colleagues alike.

* * *

Mrs. Jeepers sighed as she closed her front door, waving a hand and lighting the candles downstairs to dissipate the darkness that seemed to permanently settle there. She dropped her purse by the door, knowing the only reason she would be going out was to hunt. She glanced at the package still in her grip, a soft smile blossoming on her face. She hadn't expected the girl to get her anything. After all, she was only her teacher. Her teacher that was attracted to her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, pushing away images and thoughts that weren't allowed. Deciding to distract herself, she sat down on her rarely used couch and put the present on her lap. It was wrapped beautifully, and in her favorite color no less. She almost didn't want to open it, but curiosity drove her onward. She found the corner, tearing slowly so as to prolong the moment. A box was gradually revealed, also taped shut, and she had to wonder what was inside that could be so damaging to her reputation. Using one of her nails, she sliced the tape open and removed the lid.

She gasped as she pulled away the tissue paper, revealing a t-shirt that she immediately fell in love with. She pulled it out, unable to suppress a squeal of excitement as it unfolded and revealed the Batman emblem. She nearly tossed the box aside until she caught sight of the other shirt inside, and promptly squealed again. Poison Ivy, her other favorite character besides Batman. She waved her hand twice, simultaneously putting out the candles and closing the curtains.

Not wasting any time, she stripped off her blouse and skirt, dropping them in a pile on the floor and pulling the Batman shirt over her head. It was big on her, falling to her mid-thigh, but it would be perfect to sleep in.

"How did she know?" Mrs. Jeepers asked herself as she gathered up her clothes and the box.

She took them upstairs, carefully removing the folded Poison Ivy shirt and putting it away before tossing her work clothes in the hamper. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, lovingly sliding a hand down the Batman symbol.

"I will find a way to thank her for this," she said to her reflection.

* * *

Savannah was relieved when she woke up on January 3rd. Most people would groan and whine and drag their feet when their alarm clock alerted them to the morning, but not her. Not this time, because it was the first day back to school after winter break, which meant she got to see Mrs. Jeepers. She hurriedly tugged on whatever she could find, which happened to be jeans and a Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt, and practically ran downstairs. She inhaled her breakfast, thinking that if she hurried she could beat the first bell and see the older woman before classes began.

"Well, someone is excited to be going back to school," her mother said as she observed her daughter.

"Uh-huh," Savannah said between bites.

She was careful not to reveal the reason however, as she knew her father despised her teacher, though she wasn't sure why.

"What for? Most kids are already looking forward to the weekend," her father said, lowering his paper.

She froze, unsure of how to answer. Luckily her mother, ever the defender, jumped to her aid.

"Ethan, really," Marissa said, "leave her alone. She probably just misses her friends."

"Ah yes, those little punks you hang around with. What are their names?" Ethan asked, his disdain for them clear.

"Melody, Liza, Howie, and Eddie. And you like them all but Eddie, Dad. Admit it."

"All right so they're not all bad," he grumbled reluctantly.

Savannah smirked, pleased she had gotten her father to somewhat accept her friends. She glanced at the clock, realizing if she didn't leave soon she'd miss her chance to see the older woman.

"Oh crap! I gotta go or I'm gonna be late! Bye Mom, bye Dad!" she yelled, grabbing her backpack and bolting for the door.

Savannah raced to school, getting there with just enough time to stop by Mrs. Jeepers' room before first period. She paused outside the door to catch her breath, unsurprised when she sensed a pair of eyes staring at the doorway. Straightening up, she entered the room, a smile brightening her features. The small ball of anxiety that had been rooted in her stomach over the break dissipated as soon as she saw the older woman, and she barely kept herself from running over to her. Mrs. Jeepers too felt more at ease when she glimpsed the girl, smiling fully instead of giving her a smirk.

"Did you have a good break?" she asked as Savannah approached her desk.

"Yeah, it was pretty good. Did you?"

"It was….ordinary," she answered, sadness momentarily filling her eyes as she remembered her lonely holiday, and the girl didn't miss the change.

Frowning, she decided against probing further, as she could guess at why the older woman was so upset.

"Well, did you like your present?" she asked, not without nervousness.

"Yes, I liked it very much," Mrs. Jeepers said, smiling once again. "Which reminds me," She reached into her desk, removing a small square package. It was wrapped in black paper, which Savannah had never seen but instantly loved. "This is for you," she said, handing her the package.

Arching an eyebrow in confusion, she took it and tore off the paper, making sure to save some so she could find it later. She gasped, paling as the object was revealed.

"H-how?" she stammered, too shocked to form coherent sentences. Mrs. Jeepers smirked, enjoying her reaction. She had so hoped the girl would like it, and it appeared she was correct. "Th-this is an autographed Smashing Pumpkins CD. How did you get it signed?"

That was what she had spent the first half of her break doing, locating the band and... _convincing_ them to sign the CD. It hadn't truly been hard, and was somewhat enjoyable, not to mention worth it for the reaction she was getting.

"Oh, I have my ways," she responded nonchalantly.

Savannah darted forward and hugged her tightly just as the warning bell rang. She let go, backing away and wiping at her eyes.

"Thank you so much. This is the best thing I've ever gotten."

With those words she left the room, cradling the CD close to her chest so she wouldn't accidentally drop it and leaving the older woman practically radiating happiness.

* * *

Marissa and Ethan looked at each other as the slamming of the door reverberated through the house.

"I don't like this," Ethan said once he was sure their daughter was gone. "Surely you realize she's leaving early to see _that woman_."

He spit the words as if they were poison, disgust clear in his tone.

"I know dear, but remember, we don't know for sure that she is a Vampire."

"You can't smell her scent like I can. It reeks of the bloodsuckers. And what if Savannah didn't inherit your genes? That means her first transformation should be coming soon, and you know what will happen if it does."

Marissa sighed.

"Yes, I do. She'll be so scared and confused, she might even hate us when we tell her what we are."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Ethan replied. "I'm more concerned that the Vampire will kill her as soon as she finds out, which with her advanced senses will only be a matter of days."

"Assuming Mrs. Jeepers is a Vampire, do you really think she'd harm Savannah? Wouldn't she realize there are more of us than just her?" Marissa asked.

"Maybe, but she might not care. Until Savannah masters the transformation she'll be extremely vulnerable. If she'd take her out first then the only one left that could shift would be me. Granted I'd like to think it would be harder to kill me, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't try."

"I don't think she would. Savannah is her student, and from what I've gathered they seem to get along fairly well."

"I know," Ethan growled. "Unfortunately she needs the math help. If it weren't for that I would have transferred her to a different class months ago."

"Look at it this way honey; next year she'll have a different teacher and will probably never speak to the woman again."

"That's true," Ethan said, relief evident in his voice. "But I still worry about her first shift."

"I was always told the first shift aligned with a full moon," Marissa said.

Ethan shook his head.

"No, the first one can be brought on by any number of things. Extreme emotion, such as anger or fear, just a natural shift as the body deems itself ready, the moon, anything. We won't really know until we have a large wolf whining in front of us."

"The only thing we can do is hope she shifts at home." She looked at him, her eyes meeting his. "How old were you when you first shifted?"

"I was a little younger than her, about thirteen I think. But that's unusual, shifting doesn't usually occur until after puberty when the body can better handle it."

"So what you're saying is, she's at the perfect age and it could be anytime now."

"That's exactly what I'm saying."


	9. Shattered Queens and Broken Dreams

Savannah woke up in a cold sweat. That was the fifth time in two weeks that she'd dreamed of running through the forest as a wolf, of a bloody battle that many didn't walk away from. She glanced at her alarm clock, sighing as the bright red numbers revealed that it wouldn't be too long before she'd have to get up for school. Deciding to take a shower to rid herself of the sweat that seemed to be everywhere, she hauled herself out of bed, desperately trying to ignore the deep muscle aches that had been present for a few weeks now.

She whimpered quietly as she gathered the necessary items for her shower. It hadn't been long after Christmas that she'd begun feeling sore constantly, almost as if she was trapped in a body that was too small. And more recently, she'd begun having the dreams. The dreams that didn't feel like dreams, but memories. She couldn't shake them, and she couldn't get rid of the aching muscles either, no matter what painkillers she took.

She winced as the hot water ran down her sore back, its heat doing nothing to alleviate the pain. She sighed. Something had to be done. Adrianna had already begun to notice the dark bags and constant shifting, she couldn't hide what was going on for much longer, nor did she want to. She decided that if something hadn't changed by the end of the week she was telling someone, most likely Adri.

* * *

Mrs. Jeepers watched Savannah throughout the period, green eyes flashing with worry as she observed the girl. She had been noticing odd things about her as of late, things that concerned her. First there was the way she could never seem to sit still, and then there were the pained hisses or winces whenever she moved. Most recently, it was the dark circles under her eyes that worried her. She looked exhausted and sick, and what she was observing now only seemed to reinforce that assumption.

Savannah kept her head down the whole period, not even looking up when the woman squeezed her shoulder tightly. What concerned the redhead more, though, was how warm the girl felt through her shirt. She waited anxiously for the bell to ring so she could check on her, relief flooding through her as its shrill sound finally echoed throughout the room.

As expected, Savannah didn't move, merely tensed her shoulders as her classmates shifted around her. It was only after the last student left that Mrs. Jeepers dashed over to her, kneeling by the desk, and running a hand over her head in concern.

* * *

Savannah knew something was seriously wrong when she began to run a fever just before fifth period. At least, she thought it was a fever, considering the sudden spike in her body temperature. But the odd thing was, she didn't feel the usual chills or exhaustion that accompanied a temperature. In fact, the extra heat almost felt normal. It would have been bearable if her head hadn't promptly exploded into what felt like a million pieces soon after.

It was, quite possibly, the absolute worst headache she'd ever had. The explosion of pain nearly sent her to her knees, and colors exploded in front of her eyes. She found herself sitting on the ground, eyes squeezed tightly shut, when the world finally stopped spinning around her. Squinting, she managed to somehow make it to her fifth and sixth periods, by which time she truly thought she was going to pass out. Which was why, by the time she'd managed to stumble her way into Mrs. Jeepers' algebra class, she could do little more than drop her head onto her desk, gently, and focus on not throwing up.

At some point in her personal hell, she felt a cool hand squeeze her shoulder, and knew it was her teacher trying to gain her attention. Ordinarily she would have at least acknowledged her presence, but with the nausea swirling in her stomach and the nearly blinding pain throbbing in time with her heartbeat, (and was it her, or was her heart rate abnormally quick?), she just couldn't summon the will or energy. When the bell rang she felt tears spring to her eyes, the rush of blood in her ears nearly blocking it out. When she could finally form something close to coherent thought again she became aware of Adrianna stroking her hair.

Summoning every ounce of willpower she possessed, she lifted her head a fraction, just enough so that she could turn her head to face where she knew the older woman was sitting and slit her eyes open. Sure enough, worried viridescent orbs gazed at her with concern, and she managed a small smile.

"Hey," she murmured quietly, the sound reverberating around her skull.

"Hey," Adri replied quietly, sensing the immense pain the girl was in.

"Adri," Savannah breathed, "my head is killing me and I hurt. What's wrong with me?"

The older woman cupped her cheek, eyes narrowing at the immense warmth that greeted her.

"I don't know," she whispered quietly. "It seems as though you have the flu. You are burning up."

"Am I? I don't feel warm, I just hurt, everywhere."

She hissed as another wave of pain tore through not only her head, but her body as well. The urge to move, to stand, to _stretch herself out_ , was unbearable, and she staggered unsteadily to her feet. Adrianna was at her side in an instant, hands gripping her shoulders like a vice to prevent her from falling. Savannah leaned into her, resting her head on her shoulder before the urge to move once again consumed her. She shrugged the older woman's hands off, beginning to half stagger and half pace around the room, her head throbbing more severely with each step.

"Savannah, be still. What are you doing?" Adri asked, anxious as she watched the brunette stumble around.

"I...don't...know," she answered, beginning to pant.

There was something happening inside her, something she had no words for but that felt normal, felt right. She thought that maybe it would bring relief from her immense agony. She felt her heart speed up even more than it had already done, and before she knew what was happening she found herself in a heap on the floor. Adrianna darted to her side, her worry transforming into fear as she heard her quickened heartbeat. Savannah suddenly screamed as she felt her insides constrict, making the pain she had been in previously seem like nothing.

"Savannah!" the redhead shouted, hands traveling over her face, back, and sides to determine the cause of such a sound.

Sapphire eyes locked onto emerald, but the girl didn't answer, too consumed in her pain. Suddenly, she felt a rush of energy, and her world spun and contorted around her, making her dizzy. She closed her eyes, afraid and hurting. Gradually, the world stopped spinning, the explosion of pain fading. She opened her eyes and looked up at a very startled woman.

* * *

Adrianna gasped and backed away as Savannah began to change. Her form shifted, becoming larger and more animal like, black fur sprouting to cover her as her clothes tore away. A tail grew, along with a snout and pointed ears. Finally the transformation stopped, and there before her lay a large black wolf. It's eyes opened, fear and confusion radiating from dark blue orbs.

It cocked it's head, looking up at her. She screamed.

* * *

Savannah cocked her head as she noticed the older woman's fear. What was wrong? And since when was she so much smaller than the petite woman? The redhead screamed then, shattering the silence that had taken over after her own scream, and she shut her eyes in pain. When it was once again silent, she attempted to stand, only to fall flat on her stomach. What the hell was happening?

She tried again, pushing with all four legs. Wait, four legs?! Savannah looked down at herself in a bout of panic. Black fur, two paws….She attempted to wag a tail, hoping it wouldn't happen, only to feel something respond to her command. She screamed, which came out as a high pitched yip.

She looked back up at the older woman staring down at her in fear, who was all-but on top of her desk, and attempted to ask just what the hell was going on. New smells, sounds, and feelings assaulted her from every angle, and she could feel herself nearly ready to sink into hysteria. It was overwhelming, the way she could hear people talking down the street as if they were standing next to her, not to mention the way she could smell anything in what seemed to be a five mile radius.

"Adri, help me? What's happening?!"

All she heard was a series of growls and barks, foreign but understandable, at least to her. Adri, on the other hand, looked like she was about to faint. Determined to find out why the other woman seemed so afraid of her, Savannah once again pushed up with all four legs, this time managing to stand, albeit shakily. Adri inhaled sharply, her fear renewed tenfold when she noticed that the wolf came to her chest on all fours. Savannah took one shaky step, and when she didn't fall took another, each step becoming more sure and steady.

"Un lup! Fugi!" Adrianna screamed, reverting to her native language in her fear.

Savannah cocked her head, confused at what was being said. She took another step, and this time the older woman did jump up onto the desk.

"Adri, why are you so afraid? It's just me," Savannah attempted to say, her concern for the other woman momentarily making her forget that she could no longer speak.

She came closer, sitting in front of the desk and regarding the woman practically shaking in fear. She gave a yip, not even attempting to speak as she knew how that would end, and it was as if someone had flipped a switch in the older redhead. Adri stopped shaking, the look of fear leaving her eyes, only to be replaced by one of fury. The girl-turned-wolf gulped, instinctively beginning to back away.

"How dare you come here, into my domain?" Adrianna asked as she climbed off the desk, voice dangerously low and eyes glowing. "You and your kind are appalling. To make it worse worse, I trusted you! I thought you cared for me..." She approached the trembling wolf, her voice distorting with fury; and Savannah legitimately thought she was going to die. "You disgust me."

The words cut like a blade. She had honestly thought there had been a mutual attraction between the two of them. Apparently she was wrong. It felt as though her heart was being torn from her chest, and the familiar emptiness she had battled the majority of her life came rushing in. Adrianna, for her part, was too angry to notice the sadness beginning to take root in her heart.

She had trusted the girl, had become friends with her, had found someone she thought she could be herself with, only to have it all ripped away from her. It hurt her that Savannah had lied to her about her true form, that of a Shifter. She also knew that where there was one, there was bound to be more, and thus she was in danger. A lone Vampire against at least three Shifters was certain death. She hissed angrily before she could stop herself.

"I am going to make absolutely certain that you learn never to play with a lady's heart."

Savannah yelped, truly terrified of the woman. An otherworldly energy seemed to glow around her, and she appeared at once incredibly dangerous and beautiful. Before she could get closer she ran, toppling desks over as she made her escape. She didn't know what was going on, how she had just _changed her fucking body shape_ , but she knew she had to at least go home and get out of sight. Maybe her parents knew what was going on, and if she could at least get some answers maybe she could figure out why Adri's attitude toward her had changed so suddenly and drastically.

* * *

Adrianna watched the wolf run out of the room, torn between following her and finishing her or curling up where she stood and sobbing. She chose neither, instead rushing to gather her things and get home. At least there she would have the upper hand should Savannah and her pack choose to attack. She had no illusions of being safe any longer. If Savannah's family were all Shifters as it seemed, then she knew they knew what she was, and they would be coming for her.

Sadness consumed her as she hurried home. Would she never find someone that would accept her without somehow hurting her? Would she never be safe? Tears glistened in her eyes as she nearly broke down her front door. Well, she was through playing games.

If a little girl wanted to play with her only to then destroy her, well, two could play that game.


	10. What am I?

Savannah raced home as quickly as she could, desperate to find out what had happened to her. She stuck to back alleys and expanses of empty lots, knowing if she were to be seen it would not end well. Fear and emotional turmoil kept her moving, even as she grew tired from forcing herself forward in a body she was unaccustomed to. Her eyesight was nearly ten times sharper than before, and the longer she ran the more she was able to gain control of her heightened senses. She slowly blocked all the things that were not near her immediate person...er, wolf...and found that once that had been accomplished she felt much more comfortable.

It wasn't long before she picked up on the scent of her parents, or more specifically her mother, who was apparently outside. She picked up her pace, hoping to get home before she went inside since, without opposable thumbs, it would be next to impossible to get into the house. She rounded the last corner, letting out a sharp bark to get her mother's attention. Marissa turned, nearly dropping the mail she had been retrieving when she caught sight of the large black wolf loping toward her. It wasn't so much that it was a wolf, more that she knew there were no wolves around Bailey City, so that meant it had to be her daughter, as her husband was a cinnamon brown in his wolf form, plus this wolf was decidedly feminine.

"Savannah?" she whispered, watching as the wolf's ears pricked at the name. "Good God, it is you."

She sank onto the front steps of the house, shocked and afraid but also slightly excited that her child had been able to shift.

"Mom!" Savannah barked, going to stand in front of her. Her wolf was so large that even though her mother was sitting on the second to the top step she could look her directly in the eye. "What's going on? What happened to me? _What am I_?"

She still couldn't get used to the fact that while she was a wolf she couldn't speak, but she also didn't know that other Shifters could understand each other even if one was in human form. Her mother sighed, her eyes closing briefly before opening, the blue pools, so similar to her own, reflecting immense sorrow and regret. The woman flashed a grim smile before reaching out and running a hand over Savannah's head.

"Come on, sweetheart," she said, standing. "Your father will be home in just a little while and then we'll tell you what's going on."

' _Oh thank God,'_ Savannah thought, relieved that she at least wasn't alone in whatever was going on. She happily followed her mother into the house, tripping a little over the stairs, still not entirely used to her new body.

* * *

To say Ethan was exhausted would be an understatement. He was a lawyer to Bailey City's biggest firm, and lately, for whatever reason, there had been an unusually large influx of cases, ranging from restraining orders to criminal felonies. He had been putting in longer and longer hours for the past month, even missing Savannah's fifteenth birthday. He had hoped as the insanity from New Years died down so would the caseload, yet it was doing anything but. That was why, as he trudged into his house much later than he should have, the sight of a large black wolf playing tug-of-war with his wife with a dish towel nearly gave him a heart attack.

He dropped his briefcase with a thump, the sound drawing the pair's attention. They froze in place, his wife looking decidedly guilty though no less amused. The wolf gave a happy yip and bounded over to him, knocking him down as it jumped up on it's hind legs, thus making him the shorter of the two.

"What the-?! Marissa, is this?" he stuttered, struggling to get the oversized canine off of him.

"Yes, she came home from school like that."

He froze, every muscle in his body tensing, and his eyes widening. The shock and stress was nearly enough to force him into his own wolf form, but he held back, just barely refraining from changing.

"Savannah, honey, listen to me. We'll explain everything but first you need to shift back." She cocked her head, and he distinctly understood that the look she was giving him translated into 'Are you kidding me I don't even know how I got this way in the first place'. He sighed, forgetting how hard it was to be a fresh Shifter. "Focus on yourself, your human shape. Think of it and feel it, and you'll become human."

He watched as her blue eyes slipped closed, and for a few tense minutes both he and Marissa watched with baited breath as their daughter attempted to shift back. Finally, she began to fold in on herself, until it was human Savannah sitting on the floor. They sighed in tandem, the air palpitating with relief. Savannah opened her eyes at the noise, slightly disoriented not only from the shift but from regaining her normal senses. Her parents each took an arm and helped her up and to the couch, readying themselves to deliver not only their history, but to break the biggest lie they had ever told.

They sat her on the couch, one on either side of her. She was confused, exhausted, scared, and disoriented, and all she wanted was answers.

"Mom, Dad, what am I? One minute I felt really sick and then I was...this….this...wolf!" She idly noted that now that she was once again in human form she felt a hundred times better, though she was still tired. She also noticed the way her parents flinched when she mentioned her other form. Her eyes narrowed, and though she couldn't see it, seemed to glow with something animalistic. "What happened?" she growled, her voice echoing with the wolf she had just become.

Her father sighed, running a hand over his head and disheveling his hair.

"Savannah, honey, I'll tell you everything, but you have to promise not to interrupt until I'm finished, okay?"

"But Dad-"

"Just, just trust me. Please?" She nodded and he took a steadying breath, releasing it in a sigh. "Savannah, we are not human." Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth, but before she could speak he continued. "We are part of an ancient race known as Shapeshifters, or Shifters for short. We become wolves, as I'm sure you now know.

Many centuries ago, our race and another, beings you know as Vampires, lived together peacefully. That is, until one of them killed one of our own, draining his blood. The Vampire admitted what he had done, which sent our two races into fury and, eventually, war. Many lives were lost before a truce was called. It was agreed upon that the two races would never again interact, and for eons afterward if a Vampire came upon a Shifter they killed them, the same if the situation was reversed.

Over time, as human society progressed we as a race began to interact with them in hope of protecting them from the blood suckers. But, as they discovered what we truly were, they became afraid, and tried to kill us. We were forced to withdraw from human society, returning to the woods and unpopulated areas. We thought that was the end of it, but we were wrong. A genetic flaw, one that had been becoming more prominent but was dismissed, began attacking the various packs. Male children were being born, only males. A female birth was incredibly rare, and with the overabundance of males to females we were forced to return to the humans and breed with them.

This is where things truly get confusing," he said, locking eyes with Savannah, "so try to follow as closely as you can. Humans, for centuries, had told tales of soul mates, which I know you have heard." She nodded, encouraging him to continue. "We, as Shifters, had never been affected by this before, but as the years passed and we had children with humans, we began to become susceptible to the soul mate phenomena. Children were born who spoke of an emptiness in their souls." Here, Savannah's head snapped up. Could this be why she always felt so alone and empty inside? "This in and of itself was odd, and many never found their 'soulmate', but those that did spoke of happiness and contentment beyond human or other imagination.

This continued for several generations, and many of our race accepted it and continued on with life, simply glad they were able to continue our race. But then, about a thousand years ago, yet another oddity came to light. There were still children being born with soul mates, but there were also children being born with a deeper longing. It wasn't just an emptiness in their souls, it was a restlessness, a longing that could never be filled. For the longest time no one knew what it was and it was assumed to be a deeper level of having a soul mate.

What made it even more peculiar was that these children, the ones with the deeper longing, were far and few, and so for several centuries nothing was discovered about them. Until one fateful day, a young boy was out hunting and came across a young maid in the woods. They instantly connected, though he had no emotional feelings for her. That was the first clue that this deeper longing was not that of a soul mate. He was fiercely protective of the girl, even after she had wed and borne children. He protected her and stood by her side as a friend until the day she died, and after this case there were a few others throughout the following years. Occasionally it was two males destined to be linked, and even rarer still two females, as I've already said female births were rare.

These births seemed to come in bursts, groups if you will, and were scattered across the world, occurring once every century or so. They came to be known as the Precon Guard, for they were born with a certain being to protect. There are only a few certainties about members of the Precon Guard. One, they are born close together. Two, they spend their entire lives searching for the person they are meant to protect, which we call their Intended. Three, the Intended are never, and will never be, a Vampire."

Ethan grew silent, eyes fixed to the floor. Savannah's head was reeling. She wasn't human? She could potentially have a soul mate? She technically was a small miracle just because she was a girl? Eyes wide and flashing with thoughts and emotions she looked from her father to her mother, unsure whether to be excited for the answers she now had, or angry that they had kept it from her and left her to undergo her first shift alone. She settled on angry, electric blue orbs meeting her father's forest green.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't I grow up knowing all of this?"

Her dreams now made more sense. It had been the battle she had dreamed of, not to mention running through the forests of old as a wolf.

"Because even though we may seem powerful and invincible the humans wouldn't hesitate to kill us should they find out our secret. Not to mention any rogue Vampires that still share the hate of our ancestors," Marissa answered, drawing her daughter's attention for the first time since the discussion began.

"Wait, hate of our ancestors? Does that mean that Vampires and Shifters don't hate each other anymore?" Savannah questioned, looking to both her parents for an answer.

"Well, no, most don't, though we still aren't fond of one another," her mother answered, trying to give an unbiased answer. "Though there are still some, such as your father, that would kill a Vampire as soon as see one."

"That's because they ruthlessly kill humans for their own survival!" he yelled. "They are horrible, disgusting creatures who don't deserve to walk the face of the earth!"

His eyes flickered with his own wolf, leading the girl to another question.

"Can I see your wolf forms?" she asked, breaking her father out of his rant.

"Well, you see sweetheart," he began, only to be cut off by his wife.

"I don't have a wolf form."

"What? Why not?" Savannah asked. "Is it because you're human?"

"No sweetheart, I'm very much a Shifter. But remember how we said female births were incredibly rare? Well, sometimes when a girl is born there is defect that doesn't allow her to change her form. I have this defect, and that's also part of the reason we held off on telling you about your true nature. We didn't want to tell you only for you to discover that you couldn't shift."

"Oh."

"But, if you would like, I can show you my wolf," her father said.

"I'd like that," Savannah grinned.

Ethan smiled back before standing and crossing to the other side of the room, where he shifted flawlessly and quickly into his wolf form. Before them stood a large cinnamon brown wolf, about a half a foot taller than Savannah and a few inches longer. Piercing green eyes stared at both women before he shifted back.

"That is so cool. How'd you shift so easy?" the brunette asked, amazed that it didn't seem to hurt her father.

"Years of practice, which reminds me; what made you change for the first time?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean were you overly excited, or angry, or afraid? Or did you feel sick? Or did you just shift?"

"I felt really sick. A-Mrs. Jeepers said she thought I had the flu, but then I shifted and when I changed back I felt better," she replied, noting the way her father tensed when she mentioned the other woman.

"Ah, then it was a natural shift, not a forced one." At her confused look he elaborated. "A shift can be forced and brought about by extreme emotion, such as anger or fear. I'm glad to know that wasn't the case, as those are often far more painful to new wolves."

"Oh, so will I eventually be able to control it?"

"Eventually, though not for a long while."

It grew silent, Savannah digesting this new information before posing her next question.

"Dad, what you said earlier, about the Precon Guard? I-I think I might...be one," she mumbled. "Is that possible?"

Ethan and Marissa looked at each other. Was it possible? Yes. Was it terribly likely? No, not at all.

"What makes you say that?" he asked.

"Well, you know how you said they were born feeling out of place, restless, and lonely?"

"Yes," Ethan said slowly, wary of the whole situation.

"The anxiety pills I used to take forever ago in third grade? That was because I finally found someone to curb the loneliness and the emptiness." She exhaled, knowing that his next question would be who it was that caused those feelings. "It was Mrs. Jeepers," she said, quietly, closing her eyes.

"WHAT?!" Ethan exploded, anger vibrating through the air in waves.

Savannah cringed, having expected the reaction. She knew her father hated her teacher, though she didn't know why. It wasn't as if the woman had done some incredible wrong against him or anything.

"Dad, please calm down. She made me-makes me-feel safe, and I really like her. She treats me like a person, not another number that she's responsible for throughout the day."

Ethan breathed heavily, too enraged to form intelligible words. Marissa noticed and unconsciously placed her hand on his arm.

"Sweetheart, just because you feel comfortable around her doesn't mean she's your Intended. Precon Guards are extremely rare, and it's rarer still to find one's Intended. Perhaps you like her for another reason?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

She had long suspected that her daughter was more interested in women than men, and if she were being honest the redheaded teacher was very beautiful. Not that she approved of the choice, she'd much rather her daughter find a nice boy, but she was curious as to the reaction she was going to get. Her daughter blushed, confirming her suspicion.

"No Mom, I feel it. Every time I talk to her the emptiness inside me fades, and it's just…" She trailed off, frustrated that she was unable to put her thoughts into words. "You just...you have have to trust me."

She gazed at them, her mother especially, with utmost seriousness and slight panic. She knew that if they didn't believe her then she would never be able to be happy. Marissa gave the girl a hard look before letting a small smile slip across her face. She knew how much this meant to her, who was she to take away the happiness she held? It didn't truly matter that she didn't think her teacher was her Intended.

"Savannah, we do trust you. We just want you to understand that, though you may believe with every fiber of your being that she's your Intended, she may not be. She may just be someone that you're destined to get along well with. Do you understand?"

Savannah felt tears prick her eyes as her mother shot her down. She understood, really she did, but somehow she just _knew_. Instead of continuing to press the matter as she so desired, she held her head up and her tears in, forcing a smile on her face.

"Okay Mom. Thanks for this, all of it. At least now I know what's going on. I'm, um, I'm gonna go to bed. Night."

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Marissa said, smiling, though it was pained as she knew she had hurt her. She watched the girl go upstairs, her hand tightening on her husband's arm as she felt him getting ready to protest. "Don't," she hissed.

They remained silent until they heard her door shut.

"But that creature has bewitched her!" Ethan exploded.

"No she hasn't!" Marissa snapped. "For god's sake we don't even know she's a Vampire! So until we have proof calm down and be happy for your daughter. Not only is she a Shifter she's a part of the Precon Guard, and you know how respected they are."

"That's true."

"Not to mention she's most likely overwhelmed. Let her sleep on it before you try to do anything."

"All right. I'm sorry I reacted the way I did, but it was such a shock."

"I know, but let her be happy."

* * *

Savannah's thoughts swirled, none connected and all confused. Was she supposed to be excited now that her life had been upended? What about the Precon Guard? How was she supposed to fill her role in that? What about Adri, who seemed to hate her?

So many questions still remained, and even though it was getting late she knew she was going to get very little sleep. First things first-confront her teacher and find out just what the hell her reaction was about. Secondly, find out if she really was her Intended as she suspected. Thirdly, figure out just how she felt about being a Shifter.

She rolled over, burying her head in her pillow. Just when she thought her life was looking up it all went to hell. Well wasn't that just typical?


	11. Always a Pawn, Never the Queen

It was perhaps the understatement of the century to say that the mood in Savannah's seventh period was awkward the next day. Her teacher refused to look at her - she fixed her eyes above Savannah and completely ignored her, even when her hand was high in the air. The hour passed agonizingly slowly as time crawled by, dragged out by the insufferable tension that crackled through the air. Savannah dealt with being ignored the best she could, though the pain from that and the memory of the woman's hateful words lingered in her mind. It felt as though her soul was being torn from her body, and there were even the occasional physical stabs of pain to accompany the near-crippling emotional pain. She couldn't say she had gotten much done, but then again, she also didn't think the woman would truly fault her for it, considering neither of them were really focused on anything to do with school.

Adrianna looked horrible, dark circles underneath her eyes hinting that she hadn't gotten much sleep, if any at all, and despite how harsh she had been to her the day before Savannah found herself worrying. She watched her constantly, and she couldn't help but note how uneasy Adrianna seemed in her presence. Finally, the bell rang, but rather than hang around to speak to the woman she darted out of the room, desperate to put as much distance between her and the redhead as possible. She needed the extra time and distance to center herself and get ready for what she was sure was going to be an emotional confrontation. She paced the area in front of the Clancy Estate feverishly as she debated the best possible way to begin the discussion.

She was saved from further thoughts by the sight of her teacher rounding the corner, watching as she froze as she caught sight of the brunette waiting for her in front of her home.

* * *

Adrianna sighed in relief as she watched Savannah run out the door. Honestly she knew what had happened needed to be dealt with, and soon, but she hadn't gotten any sleep amid her panic to somewhat protect herself from the girl's pack, and as such was too exhausted to think properly, much less deal with the girl. The initial pain from the betrayal had somewhat faded, though a bit of it still burned brightly in her mind and heart. But then again, why should she feel damaged? It wasn't as though they had been in a relationship of any kind. At least, that was what she had told herself so that she could go to work. She knew, deep down, that what she felt for the girl was more than a fleeting attraction. They had gotten to know each other so well, and perhaps that was her first mistake.

She wondered idly as she exited the building if that was why student-teacher relationships were forbidden; one or the other was always destined to be hurt. She thought she could go home and catch up on some sleep, but as she rounded the corner her breath caught in her throat and adrenaline flooded her system. Savannah was there, waiting for her, nearly animalistic in her movements. It didn't help that as soon as she laid eyes on her the brunette's head snapped up to face her.

No, no, _no_ , she couldn't do this. Not yet, not when she still felt so raw and exposed from the lies she had been told. Unfortunately for her, the girl was already heading her way. There was only one thing to do now.

She dropped her bag and turned around and ran. She was quite literally running away from her responsibilities, and the thought brought a semi-hysterical giggle out of her. She could hear Savannah running after her, gaining actually, but she didn't stop, _couldn't_ stop. She thought maybe if she kept running the girl would tire and she could withdraw into the safety of her home. It wasn't to be, as just before she reached the high school a hand closed around her elbow, and before she could stop herself she whirled and struck the owner of said hand across the cheek. She expected Savannah to let go, but instead her grip tightened as she raised her head to look her in the eye.

* * *

Savannah winced at the blow, but it wasn't enough to deter her from her mission. She kept the grip on the woman's elbow, careful to only bruise and not break it. She felt blood drip from a small cut in her cheek, most likely from the ring that the woman was wearing. _'The ring I gave her for her birthday last week,'_ she idly noted as she locked onto emerald orbs that regarded her in fear.

"Adri, we need to talk."

"No, you need to let go, _little girl_ ," Adri spat, anger and fear lacing her tone.

Savannah flinched at the insult, but held her ground.

"No, we're going to talk. Personally I'd rather do it indoors and away from prying eyes, but if you insist on acting like this then I suppose the middle of the street will do."

They stayed locked in a heated glare for several moments before the older of the two finally relented and looked away.

"If you insist might I suggest the classroom? It's the closest building," Adrianna said, yet again refusing to meet Savannah's eye.

"Fine with me."

Silence hung heavily in the air as the two walked through the empty hallways until they reached Adrianna's classroom. Once inside Savannah wasted no time in slamming the door and locking it, ensuring the older woman couldn't escape. Adri didn't jump at the sound, though she tensed as if prepared for a fight.

"I want to know why you acted like you did," Savannah said once she was sure no one would try to interrupt them.

"I owe you no explanation."

"Dammit Adrianna, yes you do!" Savannah yelled, noticing the way the redhead flinched at the use of her full name. "You don't just threaten someone and then act like it didn't happen!" She swallowed hard and clenched her hands, trembling, and her voice shook as she forced the words out, a soft whisper. "... Especially someone who thought you cared for them." But her soft voice didn't stop the woman from hearing her, though she chose to ignore it.

"If you had told me what you were there would have been no threat needed, or should I say you wouldn't have been so shocked."

She deliberately kept her back to the younger woman, unable to look at her.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about! How could you not tell me you were one of _them_?"

"One of-You know what I am?" Savannah asked, utterly confused. How would Adri know about the Shifters unless she was… "You're a Vampire, aren't you?

She approached the woman, attempting to touch her shoulder. The redhead flinched away, causing the girl to withdraw her hand.

"Do not touch me!" she hissed. "What I am or what I might be is of no importance to you. You and your kind are the scum of the earth, determined to force the world into what you view as right and wrong. So do not tell me you meant no harm."

"Turn around," Savannah said, sick of looking at her back.

"I refuse to look upon one so bent on destruction," Adrianna whispered.

That was part of it, but in truth she knew that if she faced the girl she was more than likely to burst into tears. With a growl Savannah spun her around by the shoulder.

"Look at me, dammit! I'm trying to apologize or explain or….God, I don't even know! The only thing I can say is that whatever wrong you think I've dealt isn't my fault!"

"Foolish child!" Adrianna snapped, and once again Savannah noticed the way her eyes seemed to glow. "You committed a transgression the moment you set foot in my classroom! Our kinds are not supposed to mix! The elders have declared it so!"

Her eyes widened as she realized her slip, but Savannah merely smirked.

"So you are a Vampire."

"Yes, dammit, I am a Vampire. And you should know that we are not supposed to interact with one another."

"Well excuse me," the girl said, voice laden with sarcasm. "I'm new at this okay? I was terrified. And then there you were, the one _fucking_ person I thought I could _trust_ , turning on me like I was some sort of _demon_!"

"Do not speak to me of _trust_! I thought I was safe here, that I had found someone to trust! But you knew all along, didn't you? You knew I was a Vampire, and you wanted to gain my confidence only to turn on me! Well, congratulations. You've gotten your heart's desire!"

They grew silent, anger vibrating in the air. Savannah was furious. Did the woman really think so little of her as to assume she'd wanted to cause her pain? Did nothing she'd done or said amount to anything?

"I _never_ intended to hurt you!"

"Of course, you did, you all do! Shifters hate Vampires, that's well known. To think, I actually thought you cared for me! I thought you were attracted to me! I thought you might actually like me for me! _Of course_ , I was wrong!"

The pain in the older woman's voice was palpable, and it hurt Savannah just to hear it.

"I do like you, more than I've ever liked anyone before!"

"You're lying!"

"No I'm not!"

She felt a clenching sensation in her belly, heat and white-hot pain spreading throughout her body. Once again her world warped and shifted, and when she next opened her eyes she found she was once again a wolf. Adrianna stared down at her with hate, and it hurt more than she'd care to admit. Anger once again washed over her, causing her to see red. A low, feral growl escaped from her throat, and she saw fear shine from emerald eyes for a fraction of a second.

She may not be able to speak, but she could definitely growl and bark to voice her displeasure. She advanced on the woman, who to her credit held her ground until Savannah jumped up on her and knocked her to the floor. She pinned her easily, taking advantage of her shock. Hostile growls escaped her throat as she tried to make the woman understand just how angry she was.

Without warning, visions began flashing before her eyes, causing her to become silent and still. She saw the first pairing of Precon Guard and Intended, felt the bond and its strength. Other pairs rushed through her mind, until finally her own Intended was revealed to her. It slammed into her with all the force of a tidal wave, the shock alone causing her to topple over, panting heavily. Despite herself, Adri felt a flash of concern for the wolf before her pain once again consumed her. She took advantage of her momentary distraction to push her off and stand back up, putting as much distance between them as possible.

Shaking her head, Savannah stood up, albeit unsteadily, and promptly shifted back. Once in human form, she gripped the back of the nearest chair for support, turning wide eyes on the woman who, though she wouldn't admit it, was incredibly worried.

"Adri," she breathed, voice shaky. "How much do you know about the Shifters?"

"Don't try to change the subject!" Adrianna snapped, frustrated, worried, and angry all at once.

"Adri!" Savannah snapped. She took a deep breath to get a grip on her anger. "Just...answer me, please," she pleaded. Unable to refuse the girl, no matter how much she wanted to, she gave a sight tilt of the head, indicating her to continue. "Adri, really, what do you know of the Shifters, specifically the Precon Guard?"

"I know that a handful of children are born every century that are destined to protect a certain human from those like me," she replied warily.

"Yes, what else?"

"That most never find their Intended."

"Adri," Savannah breathed, locking eyes with her, "what if I told you I was part of the Precon Guard?"

"Then I would be inclined to congratulate you, as they receive respect from all races, exempting humans."

"And what if I told you I knew who my Intended was?"

"Then I would say you are very lucky indeed. Most Guards live their entire lives without so much as an inkling of who they are meant to protect."

"And if I told you that I've known my Intended for some time now?"

"Then you are lucky indeed," she responded, growing more suspicious the longer the conversation continued.

 _'How do I tell her?'_ Savannah wondered, registering the distrust in her teacher's verdant orbs. _'She's already mad at me, she'll probably just think it's a joke. But I have to tell her, she has to know.'_

"Adri, I know you're angry, and hurt," Savannah tried to ignore the other woman's flinch, "but what I'm about to tell you is important, to both of us."

"What, are you going to say _I'm_ your Intended?" Adrianna asked sarcastically, obviously unwilling to listen any further.

Savannah bit her lip, giving one slow nod. Adrianna's eyes went wide. That was impossible, she was a Vampire, and only humans were supposed to be Intendeds. _'It's a trick,'_ her mind whispered. _'You know she just lies and schemes.'_

The redhead bit her own lip, unsure of whether to trust the girl. On one hand, she had already lied to her about her identity. On the other, she couldn't seem to let her go, no matter how hard she tried. _'Don't trust her, you'll only be abused, just like in the past. How many have told you to trust them only to betray you?'_

Her gaze hardened, emerald gems becoming as hard as steel.

"You lie, just as you have been lying!"

"No, Adri, listen!" Savannah pled desperately, hoping beyond hope that she would believe her.

"No! You lied, just like everyone else." She visibly deflated, anger leaving her and leaving behind a visibly anguished, vulnerable woman. "They all lie," she whispered. "They never mean what they say. They only seek to cause pain, never to love."

"Adri?" Savannah questioned quietly.

The woman didn't seem to have heard her, continuing to speak.

"I thought you were different, but I guess I was wrong." She laughed bitterly. "I should have known that no one would want me for me. I should have known that I'll never find happiness, no matter where I go. All the gifts, all the moments were nothing but a farce so you could get what you truly wanted, my identity."

Tears began to drop down her face, startling the girl. She felt a strong urge to wrap her in her arms and kiss the tears away, reassure her that she _did_ want her, liked her for her. But she stayed put instead, sensing she'd only do more harm than good.

"Well now you know. You know what I am, so go ahead. Run along back to your pack. I don't care anymore. Kill me, imprison me, nothing matters, not now that I've realized I'm destined to be alone." She looked up, viridescent eyes shining with tears. "Maybe my life will finally match the emptiness of my soul." She gave a strangled laugh, or at least that was what Savannah assumed the ragged sound was supposed to be. "Always a pawn, never the Queen," she whispered.

"Adri," Savannah breathed, almost feeling the woman's pain. "No, no you misunderstand-"

"Do I?" Adrianna broke in. "What is there to misunderstand? You lied to me for months, told me I was your Intended, which, by the way, is yet another lie, and you all-but attacked me as a wolf. So tell me, _child_ , what do I misunderstand?"

"Adri…"

"Get out."

"What?" Savannah asked, completely bewildered.

"Get out. Leave. Be gone. How many ways do I have to say it? I wish I could say I never want to see you again but that's impossible seeing as I'm your teacher. Being such, I will see you in seventh period. Unless, of course, I'm killed before then."

"Adri," Savannah pleaded a final time.

"Get. Out. And never call me that again."

A wave of her hand unlocked the door, leaving the girl dumbfounded as to why she hadn't done that in the first place. Shooting one last look at the broken woman, she left, somehow holding in her own tears until she was safely outside.


	12. What I Would do for You

Savannah paced her room restlessly. She had stormed into the house with tears streaming down her face and locked herself in her room, ignoring her mother's concerns. That had been hours ago, and now she was all cried out. She felt numb, as though a piece of her, an extremely important piece, was missing. She was no fool, she knew that it was the loss of Adri that had caused her very soul to ache, but what could she do?

The woman obviously wanted nothing else to do with her - she had made it painfully clear. She supposed she could always watch over her in secret, but then it wouldn't be the same would it? Guard and Intended were supposed to share a sacred bond, and with that came a friendship. Severing the bond was like severing a limb, and she felt it keenly. She knew she couldn't go through her life feeling so incredibly empty, and she pitied others like her who were doomed to such a fate.

She was extremely agitated, almost to the point of literally climbing the walls, when the sensation of transformation overcame her. She fought it, already tired of her other form. Besides, what use was it to her if Adri refused to accept her offer of protection? She began to pant as the urge to shift grew stronger, as pain through every fiber of her being. She broke into a cold sweat as she stumbled to her door, unlocked it, and threw it open with such force it slammed into the wall denting it.

"Dad!" she screamed, her body burning in agony.

As expected, he came running. His eyes widened as he took in her condition, though he understood immediately what she was trying to do.

"Stop fighting it," he said as he approached her doubled over form. "The longer you fight the worse the pain will be. Let the shift come, as it will eventually regardless."

Whimpering, Savannah did as she was told, releasing whatever bar she had on her other form. The relief was immediate, as was the shift, though she noticed it was more painful than it should have been. She released a sigh of contentment as the pain faded, leaving her with her head hanging. Her father stroked her head and back, gaining her attention once more.

"Go for a run, explore the city. It's really the only thing you can do at this point, and it's dark enough now that you shouldn't be caught," Ethan said with a smile. Savannah cocked her head, unsure if she should truly go out. "Go ahead. There's nothing like it."

Giving an affirmative grunt to show she understood, she headed downstairs, unsurprised when her mother opened the door for her with a gentle smile.

"Be safe, honey. Make sure you get back before dawn."

She nodded as best she could before trotting into the night.

* * *

Adrianna was shattered, utterly and irreparably so. After the confrontation with Savannah she'd cried herself out in the silence of the classroom before she collected her bag, which thankfully had not been stolen, and dragged herself home. Once home she'd collapsed into bed, more tears coming forth as she recalled other instances wherein people had betrayed her, the memories clashing together and causing her to unintentionally compare the ghosts of her past to Savannah. Add to that the emptiness that seemed to overtake her soul, and you had one emotionally battered and broken woman.

She had been serious when she'd told the girl it didn't matter if she lived or died, as she really felt that she was worthless. She'd descended into a restless sleep for a few hours until hunger woke her, forcing her to go hunting. She'd listlessly thrown on a jacket and headed out, desperately trying to ignore the ache in her head and eyes.

* * *

Savannah had only been out for a few hours but was already bored. She'd been around to nearly every part of the city, explored every back alley, side street, and the bordering woods, and frankly it was tedious. She wasn't interested in exploring her "territory", couldn't really bring herself to care about anything since the argument with Adri. She'd only gone out to please her father, and she knew she had basically all night to do what she wanted, but there just wasn't anything that could capture her interest. She was just about to head home when she smelled something new.

She stopped dead in her tracks, unsure if what she was smelling was really there, as she had yet to master her heightened senses. Another inhale proved that yes, she was actually smelling Adri's perfume, though it was faint. Her ears swiveled, desperately trying to get an indication of where the woman was. When that yielded no results she honed in on the perfume, beginning to follow its scent toward where she was sure Adri was. She felt emotions swirling inside her heart, happiness, wariness, and melancholy at war with each other. The ongoing battle didn't deter her, and though she knew she shouldn't she continued to track the woman.

She followed her scent to the edge of the woods, where the older woman was apparently hunting. _'That's strange,'_ Savannah thought. _'Don't Vampires usually hunt humans?'_ Nonetheless, she continued to watch, intrigued by the huntress' fluidity and speed. It appeared as though she hadn't been out long, as there were no carcasses or blood to be seen.

She watched from the shadows as the Vampire caught the scent of her prey, eyes flashing a luminous green before she bounded after it. Savannah followed, never having seen a true hunt before. She caught up just as the woman brought down a fawn. She watched in amazement as the woman curled over the carcass, and soon the sounds of drinking filled the air.

She could smell the blood, metallic and somewhat alluring, in the air as well as the fresh meat. Her stomach rumbled quietly, though she ignored it in favor of the show in front of her. So wrapped up in the odd display that she almost missed the slight displacement of air as something whooshed past her. Reluctantly tearing her eyes away, she looked into a nearby tree, expecting the disturbance to have been an owl. To her shock, a man sat in the uppermost branches of the tree, crouched with eyes fixed on the woman obliviously drinking.

Savannah growled under her breath as she took him in. The man was large, she could see that even from her vantage point on the ground, much bigger than either she or Adri. He had long blonde hair that hung to his shoulders, and there appeared to be some sort of substance matting it together. She refused to think of what it could be. His eyes were a brilliant red, the exact color of the blood she could smell mere feet away. His clothes were slightly tattered and torn, though it didn't appear from lack of care, rather that he had recently been in some sort of scuffle or accident. He radiated an air of pain, hate, and slight insanity. Even in her wolf form, Savannah was on high alert, especially since he hadn't once taken his eyes off Adri.

Her eyes snapped back to the woman in question as she saw her stand out of the corner of her eye, finished with her meal. Blood ran down her chin, dying the pale skin red and creating a lovely if slightly disturbing contrast, and disappeared into the collar of her jacket. Without completely realizing it, the young wolf found herself wondering just where the blood trail went, imaging it running down her chest in the hollow between her breasts.

She was torn from her musings as Adri began to jog away, leaving the carcass. The man in the tree watched her too, waiting until she was nearly out of sight to hop into the next tree, following her. Savannah growled deeply, her mouth pulling into a snarl. She didn't like the way he was looking at Adri, not one bit. It was a look of obsession and awe, but underneath was the promise of horrible things, of pain to be inflicted. She ran after him, not about to let him harm her Adri.

She trailed him back into town, into the maze of side streets that most people ignored or never used. It definitely wasn't the best place to be anytime, much less in the middle of the night when it was pitch black. The longer she followed them, the longer she realized Adri had no idea someone was stalking her. _'But shouldn't she?'_ she thought. _'She's usually so observant.'_ She continued to follow them, her fur standing on end as anxiety nagged at her. _'Something's not right,'_ she thought as she watched the man grow closer to the woman. The feeling only grew when he crept right behind her as silently as a ghost.

 _'He's going to hurt her!'_ she realized moments too late as he grabbed the unsuspecting redhead. She stopped dead, stunned as he threw her beloved teacher to the ground. Cold, murderous rage began to envelope her mind as she watched Adri begin to struggle, unable to free herself from his larger form. Red seeped into the edges of her vision as he straddled the woman, and it was only when she saw terror flash in her pretty emerald green eyes that she reacted.

Savannah sprung forward, snarling dangerously, and knocked the larger man off Adri. He flew backwards a few feet from the force of the impact, landing on his back and getting the wind knocked out of him. In the few seconds it took him to recover, Savannah stepped protectively over Adri, crouching low over her body and growling menacingly. The man stood, grinning wickedly.

"How adorable, a little mongrel. Tell me darling, however did you manage to gain such a mangy beast as a familiar?"

He stepped closer to the pair and Savannah snapped at him, signalling that he'd better stay away. He merely smirked, stepping closer. Her growling turned to a snarl, malicious and threatening, promising pain should he wish to touch the woman lying prone underneath her again. His smirk grew, parting his lips enough that she was able to see his fangs glittering in the moonlight.

"Step away, mutt. This doesn't concern you, only pretty little Adrianna here."

Hearing him speak the woman's name only served to enrage Savannah further, sending her back to growling, though they were by far more menacing than any sound she had made so far. How dare he, a stranger, dare to speak to her Intended, much less touch her?! He took another step closer and she lunged, obviously taking him by surprise as he staggered under weight. She used that to her advantage, sending her fangs deep into his upper arm. He screamed, the pitch rising as she clamped down harder and ripped her own fangs downward, tearing his arm open in a spectacular shower of blood. It was then he threw her to the ground, literally, the impact creating a small dent in the concrete. She vaguely heard Adri gasp through her daze, trying to stand and falling back onto her side uselessly.

"Now, where were we?" the despicable man asked, once again, advancing and cradling his injured arm.

Still light headed, Savannah pushed herself to her paws, once again propelling forward, this time smashing his face into the ground. His nose broke with a sickening crack, more blood splattering the ground, some of it splattering the redhead who had yet to rise. Savannah looked directly at her, momentarily losing focus as she took in how pale the older woman had become, how terrified she looked. The Vampire underneath her used the momentary lapse in focus to roll her off, pinning her to the cement. Her head slammed into the rough concrete, dazing her once again.

"It appears as though I've underestimated you," the male Vampire whispered as he slowly increased the pressure on her throat.

She felt her air cutting off and her breathing growing shallow. The last thing she saw before becoming engaged in a series of tumbles was hauntingly beautiful verdant eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Using her back legs, she used what little energy he still had to kick the larger male off of her. Then began the battle for survival.

Savannah had never fought before, much less as a wolf, so she wasn't quite sure what she was doing, but it seemed as though some internal force was driving her. She dodged and weaved, for the most part ignoring the strikes of her opponent. They rolled across the ground, hissing and snarling, each battling for the dominance needed to win. Savannah howled in pain as he managed to bite into her shoulder, the wound deep and possibly tearing a muscle. She retaliated with a sharp snap of her own, catching him in the back. He hissed in pain and she managed to flip him over once more, jumping on him with all her weight and hearing a satisfying crack as she did so. As his head slammed into the ground for the umpteenth time, she noticed his neck was perfectly bared.

Taking the opportunity, she quickly closed her jaws around the patch of flesh. She felt her teeth puncture critical pipes and muscles, and took joy in the panic she created as he furiously clawed at her sides. With one spectacular jerk of her head she ripped out his throat, relishing in the blood that immediately coated her chest and face. She stepped off the man as he began to gurgle, desperately trying to breathe through vital fluids and a throat that was no longer there. She panted as she watched him writhe and squirm, triumphantly trotting to Adri's side and sitting beside her, both of them watching the man die.

Only when he was completely still did Adri make any sound at all, a quiet whimper that Savannah couldn't tell meant if she was relieved or upset. She nuzzled her cheek, feeling the hand that wrapped itself in the fur on her shoulders. They sat that way for endless minutes, simply staring at the body in front of them. It was only when the adrenaline from the fight began to wear off did Savannah totally realize what she had done. She had killed someone, an evil and malevolent someone, but still a living being. _'It's for the best. You've done no wrong. He was trying to hurt Adri,'_ her subconscious whispered, and the truth of the words hit home. She was a Guard with an Intended. Said Intended had been threatened and she had reacted accordingly.

Sighing silently, she allowed relief and exhaustion wash over her before glancing at the woman still holding on to her with a death grip. She appeared stunned, terrified, drained, and, though it was only a flicker among the other emotions, amazed. The blood she had drunk what seemed like hours ago had dried, leaving a rusty trail down her chin. Savannah huffed, worried for her. Letting her exhaustion consume her, she felt for her human form, grasping it and slowly shifting back. The change left her shoulder to shoulder with the redhead, and before she could catch herself she slumped against her.

She felt her tense and sighed.

"Adri, please don't run," she croaked, throat dry from all the sounds she had made while fighting.

"Run?" the woman said quietly, "Why would I run? You just saved my life."

Savannah couldn't help the tired smile that graced her face.

"I had to. I couldn't just let you die."

"Why? After everything I said, wouldn't that have made things easier?"

"What? No!" Savannah protested. "Just because we argued and screamed doesn't mean I want you dead."

It was in that moment that Savannah realized something. Her feelings for her teacher ran deeper than she thought. She wasn't sure how much deeper, but definitely more than a crush.

Adri's eyes widened at the revelation that the girl still cared for her. She had been sure her words had been enough to scare her off, or at least hurt her to the point of leaving her alone. Her heart fluttered at the thought that maybe she hadn't ruined things beyond repair. She also felt an immense amount of guilt at the thought that Savannah hadn't lied, at least about being her Guard. After what had just happened she was forced to acknowledge at least that. That thought in mind and guilt weighing on her heart, she opened her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"What?" Savannah asked dumbly, an apology the last thing she had expected to come out of the woman's mouth.

"I'm sorry," Adri repeated. "I'm sorry that I didn't believe you when you told me about being part of the Precon Guard or about me being your Intended." She laughed bitterly. "I guess one day I'll learn to accept things as they are instead of picking them apart."

Savannah heard the despair in the words and felt the pain behind them, but chose not to comment, hoping to keep the fragile conversation going.

"Who was he anyway?" she asked instead, changing the subject.

"Andrei, a Vampire from a clan in my home country. He was part of a rival clan sent to give me a message, though he never got around to it since you stepped in."

"Sorry," Savannah mumbled, not really meaning it but hating the thought that she'd upset the older woman.

"Why? You did me a great favor. He would have given me the message of course, but not before I'd paid for it."

Everything clicked together then. The way he'd been straddling her, the fear in her eyes, the reason he had known her name. The mere thought of the "price" the redhead had nearly paid was enough to make her blood boil once again, her eyes flashing with her inner wolf. She growled, the sound reverberating deep in her chest, most definitely inhuman.

"Shh," Adri soothed, "it's over now. Hopefully they'll think he simply deserted them or was unable to find me. He never was the most dedicated or focused tracker."

"He touched you," Savannah snarled. "He was going to rape you. For that I wish I'd made him suffer more."

Silence descended, the woman stunned at the declaration. If she'd needed any further proof that she was indeed an Intended, there it was.

"He suffered enough," she said shortly. Internally she was saying so much more. _'I thought he was winning. I thought he was going to hurt you. I thought he was going to kill you.'_ Shaking her head, she laid her head on the girl's shoulder, finally acknowledging not only her exhaustion but the bond they shared. "Thank you."

Without thinking, Savannah wrapped her arm around petite shoulders, pulling the woman to rest against her slightly larger frame.

"Of course, always," she said.

Neither made a move to return to their respective homes, instead sitting for the few hours before dawn in silence, enjoying the other's presence and conceding that the argument was no longer important. They watched the sky brighten from black to purple, not truly able to enjoy the sunrise because of the buildings surrounding them. It was only when the first rays of the sun became visible above the buildings did they separate. No words were shared, though loving looks were, as they headed to their respective homes to prepare for the new day.

The one thought on Savannah's mind had her cringing. _'How am I going to tell my parents about this?'_


	13. Where I Belong

Savannah crept into the house without a sound, fully aware that not only was she extremely disheveled from her fight, but also that she had broken the curfew her parents had given her. The early morning sun slanted through the windows, giving her light to see by as she skillfully maneuvered through the entryway and past the kitchen. The stairs came into her sightline, and just as she thought she would make it she heard someone clear their throat. Wincing, she turned around to be met with the disapproving gaze of both her father and mother.

"Um, hi?"

"And just where have you been, young lady?" Ethan asked, his voice sharp with irritation.

"Out."

"You were supposed to home forty-five minutes ago!"

"Something came up."

" _What_ could be so important that you would jeopardize your safety?" Ethan seethed, his patience growing thin.

"I found my Intended okay?!" Savannah yelled, beyond exhausted and frustrated.

Dead silence filled the room, heavy, tense, and oppressing. Savannah was breathing heavily, her nerves on edge as she stared at her parents, gauging their reaction.

"You found your Intended?" her mother asked quietly. She nodded jerkily. "That's wonderful, honey! Who are they? How did you find them?" Marissa asked, wrapping her in a hug.

Savannah winced, regretting her outburst.

"It's...they're..mkaienrglskdf," she murmured, the name coming out like gibberish to her parents, even with their advanced senses.

They looked at one another, confused.

"What was that, honey? We didn't quite catch it," Ethan said, much calmer now that he knew why she was late.

Internally, Savannah was screaming. She knew that if she told her parents that her Intended was the woman they despised more than Satan himself that it wouldn't go over well. Actually, that was an understatement. More like it would be the start of World War III. In the few seconds of silence that came after the question, she made up her mind. She'd tell them the circumstances of the fight and pass it off as the revelation that the woman was her Intended. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

"I'll tell you who it is, but let me tell you how I found them first." She waited for them to nod before continuing. "I was exploring the city and smelled perfume, which I thought was unusual for that time of night, so I followed the scent to the edge of the woods. There was a woman there, hunting, and I watched her for a while. Just as she brought down her kill the air above my head was displaced.

I looked, thinking it was an owl, but it was actually a man, a Vampire to be precise. He stalked her back into the city, and I followed, worried for her safety. He attacked her, and I intervened, fighting and saving her life. She told me after that his intention was to rape her." Her parents gasped, but she ignored it so she could finish her story. "I explained to her what had happened, what she was and what I am. She accepted it, though reluctantly. We sat together and watched the sunrise, just enjoying the bond."

"That's wonderful, sweetheart! But who was the woman? Do you know her?" Marissa asked.

"You might say that," Savannah answered, stalling for time.

"Well how do you know her?"

"From school."

Ethan's eyes narrowed. Something about the way Savannah was evading answering the questions was setting him on edge. And the woman from the story, there was something there that bothered him as well. Why was she out so late at night, hunting no less? Something in his gut told him he wouldn't like the person his daughter named, _if_ she ever gave them a name that was.

"Savannah, I want to know who this person is and I want to know _now_ ," he said, his tone brooking no room for argument.

Savannah gulped, aware that her answer would most likely start an argument of epic proportions. Nonetheless, she took a steadying breath and centered herself.

"It's Mrs. Jeepers."

The words hung heavy in the air, and time seemed to stop. Her father's face began to change in color, his skin going from a healthy tan to a bright red in mere seconds. She saw his eyes flash, and then a wolf stood in front of her. Just as quickly he shifted back, though he was no less angry. Her mother paled, her hand grasping at the back of a nearby recliner for balance. Savannah began to feel the first tendrils of fear as they slithered through her body and wrapped around her heart, and unconsciously took a step back from her irate father.

"What did you say?" Ethan asked quietly, so quietly that she felt more than heard the rage behind his words.

Her own anger flared in response. What had Adri ever done to her father? Nothing, and besides, weren't parents supposed to support you no matter what?

"I said, my Intended is Adrianna Jeepers," she snarled back, her own wolf coming out to play.

"That-That _creature_ is _**not**_ your Intended!" Ethan screamed.

" _She_ _**is**_ my Intended!" Savannah screamed back.

"Savannah, honey, think for a minute. How can she be your Intended? She's not human," Marissa interjected gently, wary of upsetting her daughter further.

"Because she is! I can't explain it, and you wouldn't understand anyway since neither of you are Guards!"

"Try," her father ground out, obviously only barely restraining his fury.

"It's like, before I knew her I always felt like a piece of me was missing, like I didn't belong. I hated to wake up, knowing that the only thing I had to look forward to was a dull ache in my soul. Then she came into my life and that emptiness went away. I feel _alive_ for the first time in my life, like I have a purpose, like I _belong_. Do you know how hard that is, living your whole life as an outsider to the world? It _fucking sucks_ , and now that I've found happiness you want to take it away? What is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with _us_? What's wrong with _you_?!" Ethan exploded. "That bloodsucker could never be deserving of a Guard! Never in our history has a Shifter played bodyguard to a Vampire, and it sure as hell isn't going to start with you!"

"I _told_ you you wouldn't understand and I was right!"

"Because there's nothing to understand! You're _fifteen_ \- you don't know half of what you're talking about! You've never been alone, you've always had us! You belong with us, not some demented _killer_!"

"You can't say that, you don't know how _I_ feel!" Savannah screamed, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"You don't even know _what_ you feel!" Ethan roared.

"I know that I like her, maybe even love her!" Savannah shouted back.

Everyone froze as those words sank in. Savannah gasped, her eyes going wide. She hadn't meant to say that, had _never_ meant to say that. She hadn't even come out yet, and yet her biggest secret was floating in the air, free for her parents to destroy.

"What did you say?" Marissa asked in a shocked whisper.

So it was true. Her only child, her baby, was gay. Not only that, but she had a crush on the worst possible woman in the city.

"I said I love her," Savannah said, no longer shouting as she realized it was true, she did love the Vampire.

"You can't! She's a woman!" Marissa screamed, distraught.

"Newsflash Mom, I know that! And you know what? I love her anyway! And you know what else? I'm a lesbian, have been for _years_!"

"You're an abomination," her mother whispered, and the words cut deeper than Savannah would care to admit. They made the argument with Adri look like a calm discussion. "How can you love that _thing_?"

"She isn't a thing. She is a beautiful, caring, intelligent woman who I hope to spend the rest of my life with," Savannah answered calmly.

"You're fifteen! How do you know you love her? You've never even dated, never had a boyfriend!"

"Because I don't like boys! And I already told you, before I met Adrianna I felt like an outsider, I had no desire to date."

Ethan, who had been silent since her admission, chose that moment to share his thoughts.

"Where did we go wrong?" he asked, more to himself than his family. "I thought we had a raised a normal little girl, not this-this _freak_! Is this what you wanted, Savannah?" he snapped, raising his eyes to meet hers. "Did you want to ruin this family? Because you have."

"I can't help who I am!" Savannah wailed, wanting nothing more than to run away and curl into a small ball.

"Being gay is a _choice_!" her mother snapped.

"No it isn't! I was born this way, and studies prove it! I love who I love, and it's not wrong or disgusting or a phase- it's who I am!"

"Enough!" Ethan boomed. "I refuse to allow this any longer. Savannah you are going to forget about all this nonsense of liking women, especially _her_. Monday I will go to your school and arrange for you to be transferred to a different class, and you will not see or speak to that creature again. Furthermore, you are grounded until I deem you ready to return to your after school activities, including exploring the city at night. Until you can accept that you are normal and agree to forget this nonsense you will remain grounded. Do you understand?"

Savannah didn't answer, couldn't answer. She could feel her world falling apart at the seams, could almost hear the sound of shattering glass to accompany it. She felt her breathing speed up and absentmindedly noted she was going into a panic attack. She began to shake her head no, slowly at first but growing more frantic as her breaths turned into pants. Tears spilled down her cheeks at an alarming rate and all she could think was ' _I can't lose her, I can't lose her, I can't lose herIcan'tloseher!'_

"No," she whispered.

"No what?" Ethan asked. "'No' you don't understand or 'no' you're not going to obey?" Savannah didn't answer, too caught up in her panic. "Answer me, girl!"

Savannah's eyes snapped up to meet his, and she grew eerily calm. A cold, detached anger radiated off her in waves, and for the first time Ethan and Marissa witnessed the hidden power of the Guard. Her eyes seemed to glow with her inner wolf, and the air around her seems to shimmer.

"You can't tell me who to be, who to love. I love Adrianna with my whole being, and I would do anything to be with her. You are not going to stop me, parents or no. I _will_ be with her one way or another."

"Savannah Elaine Edwards, I am your father and you will show me respect!"

"You have to give respect to get respect, it's a mutual concept!"

"You are my child and-"

"And what?" Savannah laughed bitterly. "Are you going to lock me away and brainwash me so that I'll think just like you? Not going to happen."

Her father growled, the sound inhuman, and she flinched, reminded of just how out of her element she'd be if her father forced her to fight. Her anger began to fade, only to be replaced with sadness and fear. She was fully aware that if her parents, her father especially, so chose, could quite literally end Adrianna. Permanently. Not to mention what they could do to her.

She began to back away slowly, knowing that if she could just get to the door then she'd be safe.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Ethan asked.

"Away."

It was all she said before making a break for the door, desperately trying to beat her father. Her hand closed around the doorknob and turned, and she thought she was free, until a hand clamped onto her arm.

"The only place you're going is upstairs to your room," Ethan growled.

"That's what you think!"

She twisted her arm, yanking for good measure, and broke free of his grip. She turned and ran as fast as she could out the door, determined to get away from her parents. Once free of the porch she shifted, taking off at full speed toward Adri's, knowing her father wouldn't willingly walk into a Vampire's lair, no matter how angry he was. Ethan chased after her, shifting as well, but skidded to a halt as he realized where she was running to. He might want to destroy the woman that resided there, but he definitely wasn't stupid enough to attack her alone. Growling and snarling, he turned and headed for home. After all, Savannah had to come home sometime.

* * *

Adri had gone home after the attack and had promptly jumped into the shower, proceeding to scrub her skin raw. She rubbed furiously trying to get the man's scent off her body. As she bathed, her mind wandered back to what Savannah had done for her. She had been hurt, had _killed a man_ , just because she was her Guard. That was another thing. It was unheard of for a Vampire to have a Guard, impossible. But there she was, living proof that it was indeed a possibility.

On top of that, there were still her unresolved and somewhat inappropriate feelings for the girl. She was her student, _and_ she was the same gender. Did that mean she was a lesbian? She _had_ been married once before, but she'd never felt for him what she felt for Savannah. Then again, it was also an arranged marriage. She had been fond of him, but loved him? No, never.

She sighed, remembering how close they'd been after the fight. She hadn't meant to lean on her after the attack, but she had, and she definitely hadn't missed the arm that had wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her closer. It had come as a shock, though though it certainly hadn't been unwelcome.

She sighed again, letting the hot water stream down her back. She didn't know what to do. On one hand, she had a permanent relationship with the girl already through their bond. On the other, she could have so much more. But, there was also the chance she could ruin everything by confessing her feelings, and that was what prevented her from acting. She didn't want to risk losing the girl, who she thought she loved, just by saying something that most likely wasn't reciprocated. No, she'd just stay silent and pine away, forcing herself to be content with what she had.

After her shower, she dried off and dressed in the Poison Ivy shirt Savannah had given her for Christmas, content to settle down and binge Batman: The Animated Series, her go-to whenever she needed to escape from life's problems. She made it through two episodes before she heard the banging on her door. Confused as to who it could be, as she never had any visitors, she turned off the tv and headed downstairs to investigate. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but a distraught and sobbing teenage girl certainly wasn't it.

* * *

Savannah panted in exhaustion as she cowered under Adri's front porch. She watched for her father, just in case she was wrong and he did follow her. From the small gap, she saw familiar brown paws come to a halt across the street. She wiggled back further, resisting the urge to whine. She saw him pace for a few seconds before turning around, though she waited until she could no longer smell him to come out.

Wriggling out, she shook herself and loped up onto the porch, trembling even in her wolf form from the recent argument. She paced in front of the door for a few minutes before shifting to her human form, where the tears immediately returned. She wrapped her arms around her waist, sinking onto the floor and sobbing. What had she done? She'd come out to her parents and simultaneously admitted her love for a woman they hated.

Managing to get herself somewhat under control, she stood up and knocked on the door, not thinking twice about her actions. This was where she was meant to be, she could feel it. She knocked again, louder this time, and then stepped away since she could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. The door opened, revealing the woman that was the source of all her troubles, but also her savior.

* * *

To say Adrianna was shocked to see Savannah, upset and disheveled, on the other side of her door would be an understatement.

"Savannah? What's wrong? What happened?" she asked, rushing out to her and running her hands around her face, and down her arms and back. She shook her head, her breath hitching into gasps. "Come on, come in, let's get you cleaned up and calmed down."

She helped her through the door, keeping an arm around her shoulders to steady her. She didn't bother with the downstairs, considering everything she needed to clean the girl up was in her ensuite bathroom. She led her up to her bedroom, smirking as she felt her tense even though she was still partially distraught.

"It's alright, sit here," she gently nudged her to the bed, "and I'll be right back."

She headed into the bathroom, wetting a washcloth with warm water. While she was doing that, Savannah sniffed and attempted to wipe her eyes, wincing as she felt the soreness. She glanced around the room, taking it in. She was sitting on a black comforter, and across from the bed was the dresser with a television atop it. There was a small table with a mirror on the right side of the room, various makeup scattered across it along with Adri's brooch. The left wall held the closet near the dresser, and closer to the area of the bed was the door that led to bathroom, where she could hear water running.

Adri came out of the bathroom holding a washcloth and took a seat beside Savannah, tenderly running the rag across her cheeks and over her eyes. Her touch was gentle and the cool touch alleviated some of the pain her sobbing had caused, and before Savannah knew it she was leaning against her. It was then she noticed the shirt the older woman was wearing.

"You're wearing the shirt I gave you," she said, smirking a little.

"Why wouldn't I? I love it." She shifted, pulling the girl closer. "Now tell me what had you so upset."

Savannah sighed, unconsciously gripping the hem of said discussed shirt.

"My parents and I got into a huge fight." Something in her tone told Adri that this wasn't the typical teenage disagreement, this was something that could potentially change the girl's life. "They didn't like it when I told them you were my Intended. They tried to tell me I was wrong, that you couldn't have a Guard because of what you are. I told them they were wrong. And….I might have….come out," she said, carefully avoiding the part about her love for the redhead.

"Come out? You mean?" Adri asked, hoping it meant what she thought it did.

"Yeah," Savannah said quietly, looking away. "I'm a lesbian." Adri drew in a breath, happiness blossoming in her heart. "I guess this means you don't want to have anything to do with me either," she said, having heard the inhale.

She pulled away, and the woman felt a thrill of fear. She locked an arm around her shoulders, feeling her tense in fear.

"You're wrong. I think you're perfect, and if your parents can't see that then, well, they're tâmpiților."

"What does that mean?" Savannah asked, cocking her head.

Adrianna smirked.

"In a word, morons."

Savannah laughed, feeling much better than when she had arrived. The redhead smiled, glad she could lighten the mood.

"What did you say that lead to your coming out?" she asked.

"Um…." ' _Go ahead, tell her now. You know she accepts you. Maybe she even likes you back. It's worth a try.'_ "I told them who I had a more-than-crush on."

' _Dammit! Well, better to find out who it is now than to walk up on them kissing or something.'_

"Who is it? If you don't mind me asking."

' _This is it!'_ Savannah took a deep breath, gathering her courage.

"It's you," she said, looking her dead in the eye. Emerald orbs widened in surprise. That was not what she had been expecting to hear. The brunette cringed back, mistaking her expression for one of denial. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I get it, it's fine, forget I mentioned it."

Finally recovering, Adri shook her head fondly.

"Silly girl, why would I want to do that?"

"Aren't you disgusted?"

"How could I be when I feel the same way?"

Savannah's head snapped up, sapphire eyes widening in shock and glimmering with hope.

"You...you like me back? Since when?"

"I'm not sure," Adri mused. "I've always thought you were pretty. At some point during the year I guess I just...fell." Savannah gasped at the implication. "What about you?"

"I thought you were beautiful." She smiled a little as the woman blushed. "And I guess I had a crush on you since the beginning of the year. I'm not completely sure when I fell." Adrianna locked eyes with her, conveying the silent question. Savannah smiled, answering. "Yeah, I fell too, I'm just not sure when a crush became more."

She yawned, the excitement of the morning catching up to her. She curled into Adri's side, wrapping her arms around her waist. The woman slid further up the bed, reclining them back until they were lying down. They faced each other, happiness radiating around the room.

"You know we can't tell anyone about this," Adri said quietly.

"I know."

"But for now, it's just us."

They inched together, and their lips met tentatively for the first time. Fireworks and stars exploded behind their eyelids, sending them into euphoria. It was in that moment something else became known to Savannah Edwards.

She loved Adrianna Jeepers, her Intended. Adrianna Jeepers was also her soul mate.


	14. Shattered Souls, Broken Hearts

Adrianna had no clue how long she had been asleep when she opened her eyes to an extremely annoying beam of sunlight. There was a soft weight across her torso, and for a moment she was confused. She looked down, memories of the morning returning. Savannah was splayed across her, her head tucked against her chest, arm wrapped around her waist and one leg slung across her hips and thighs. She smiled softly, reaching up to run her fingers through inky black hair. Savannah shifted, sighing quietly and nuzzling her neck. It was then that it occurred to her just what she had done.

She had, in a moment of adrenaline based fear admitted her feelings. That thought jolted her fully awake, the haze of sleep she'd been revelling in vanishing in an instant. She tensed, once again glancing down at the body draped across hers. What had she done? This was wrong, so very wrong. She was a baby, a fucking _baby_! Not to mention she was also her student, which was illegal. There was no way this could work, no way in any universe they could be together. And, as much as it pained her to admit it, she was much too old for Savannah. This had to end, and it had to end _now_.

She began to carefully and slowly extract herself from Savannah's grip, freezing as she felt her tighten the hold on her waist. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. She tightened every muscle in her body, unable to function. She laid there for a small eternity, her mind refusing to cooperate, refusing to coerce her muscles into moving. Finally, she snapped out of it, pulling first her arms away and then attempting to wiggle her hips free. It was this move that made Savannah whimper quietly, and her to still once more.

Switching tactics, she carefully lifted Savannah's arm from her waist, strategically placing a pillow where she had previously been laying. Next were her legs, and she moved the leg slung across her hips as well. That done, she eased off the bed, standing and backing away. She stared at the girl for a minute, taking in how relaxed and peaceful she looked. Shaking her head, tears beginning to pool in her eyes, she backed away.

She could feel her breathing pick up and could have sworn the walls were closing in on her. Her eyes darted around, trying to find somewhere, anywhere, that didn't seem threatening. It was then she remembered the space in the back of her closet. It was dark, it was quiet, and the best part was that her clothes would block the view of her bed. She ran for it, darting underneath her clothes and curling into a ball in the corner, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. She sobbed silently, her own heartbeat rushing in her ears, blood pounding through her veins. She could feel herself shaking, her whole body trembling not only with the force of her sobs but with her anxiousness as well.

She didn't know how long she'd been crying, thoughts of ' _Pedophile, cradle-robber, illegal, immoral,_ _ **Youcan'tfuckingdothis**_ ' running through her mind when she felt her stomach tighten and the nausea roll through her body. ' _Oh please God not this,'_ she pleaded silently, only to be answered with a stronger wave. Hyperventilating, she struggled to push free of the closet, racing for her bathroom and barely making it in time. She emptied what little was in her stomach, groaning and resting her head on the porcelain when she was finished.

In the bedroom, Savannah woke to the sound of retching. Momentarily hindered by the fog of sleep, it took her a few seconds to realize that not only was Adri no longer curled up with her, but it was the older redhead making the painful sounds from behind the closed door. Concern rushing to the forefront of her mind, she pushed up from the mattress, crossed the room to the door and knocked.

"Adri? Are you alright? What's wrong?" Stupid questions, she knew, but it was reflex. "Adri? Answer me."

Inside, the Vampire froze, hands gripping the toilet seat so tightly that it cracked. What now? She had no clue how to tell the girl that what she had done was a mistake, that they couldn't be together. And what made it harder was the fact that Savannah was so sweet, so caring. How could she hurt her? Did she even have it in her to crush her soul like that? She didn't know, but she hoped she did because everything in the universe was screaming reasons as to why they couldn't be together.

She took a few deep breaths, mentally centering herself before wiping her mouth and removing any residue. She stood, wincing as she took in the damage to the seat, and flushed. Savannah heard the sound and sighed in relief, glad that the woman seemed okay enough to move. She still didn't know what was wrong, but she also didn't want to just burst in either. She backed away from the door as the knob rattled, a smile appearing as Adri began to emerge. It fell as she noticed the cold, detached look on the redhead's face.

"Adri, is something wrong?"

"Yes, there is."

She brushed past the girl, careful not to touch her lest she lose her resolve. Savannah's gaze followed her, tracking her to the vanity where she sat and proceeded to begin applying her makeup for the day. Hesitantly, she walked up behind her, taking in their reflection before speaking.

"What….what is it?"

Adrianna didn't turn, didn't even look at the girl behind her as she grasped her eyeliner.

"What happened between us was a mistake," she said bluntly, her words sharp and intended to wound. Savannah gasped, shocked. "It should never have happened. I blame myself of course. You were upset, I was worried, emotions were high. But it never. Should. Have. Happened. It was a fluke, an accident, something that was destined to fail. Are you following?"

Her eyes darted up long enough to catch the blank look on Savannah's face. She felt her heart twist, the pain actually physical, and quickly looked away.

"I don't….why?" Savannah asked, her face beginning to flush.

"Don't you understand, child?!" Adri snapped, closing her eyes for a fraction of a second to steel her nerves. She whirled around, and when her eyes opened they were as hard as the gemstone with which they shared color. "I was pitying you! I never meant anything I said, not one word! As for the why, isn't it obvious? I don't date confused little dykes."

That was the cherry on top for Savannah. She burst into tears, barely able to see the woman that had just broken her heart.

"I thought you loved me! You said you did! And I love you!" she screamed.

" _Love_ ," Adri scoffed, turning back to face the mirror. "You don't know love. Love is something you're too young to understand."

"I do love you! What do I have to do to prove it?!"

"You can't prove something that doesn't exist."

Savannah half gasped, half hiccupped and took a step back, staring at the woman she thought she knew. She thought she was different, thought she could reveal her feelings, but she was wrong. She took a shaky breath, willing herself to calm down and failing miserably.

"Yes I can! You're my soulmate, and nothing you say or do will change that!"

That tripped Adri up a bit. Soulmate? Was there even such a thing?

"Soulmates aren't real. They're fairytales created for children that do not know what the real world is like. Now, I've said all I'm going to say."

True to her word, she went silent, leaving Savannah an emotional mess behind her. The girl stood, mouth gaping slightly, unable to move or say a word. Finally, when she noticed that Adrianna was deliberately applying her makeup more slowly than she should, obviously taking pains to ignore her, she turned around and began walking away, tears still dripping down her cheeks. She left her in her bedroom, going down the stairs and out the front door in a daze.

* * *

As soon as she heard the front door close Adrianna lost it. All the makeup she had just painstakingly applied ran down her cheeks, washed away by her tears. She had done it and that was a good thing, wasn't it? She didn't fucking know anymore. Her head said one thing and her heart said another and she didn't know what to believe anymore.

' _ **You love her.'**_

' _I can't love her.'_

' _ **It's wrong but you do and you know it.'**_

' _But I can't.'_

' _ **She said it herself, she's your soulmate and you're hers. Why deny the truth?'**_

' _Because the truth can get her killed!'_

It was then the other voices in her head began screaming, throwing in the opinions she never asked for. ' _Demon, murderer, monster, devil! Evil, evil, evil!_ _ **Undeserving!**_ ' And the worst part was, she knew they were right, the voices were right. She was nothing but a monster, didn't deserve the love such a sweet girl offered.

Adrianna screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she prayed for the pain to stop, for the voices to be silent.

* * *

All the sounds of the street were muffled, and the waning afternoon sunlight seemed to mock her. A scream, muffled and warped as if she were underwater reached her ears, and vaguely she recognized that it was Adri screaming but she couldn't bring herself to turn and go back. The Guard within her struggled, fighting her decision, and deep down she knew she should return. But instead she kept walking, where to she wasn't exactly sure, but anywhere had to be better than there. Savannah let her feet lead her, lost in her mind and the dull throb emanating from her chest.

' _Why doesn't she love me? I thought she did, I thought I had proven my love to her. What else can I do? Why did she kiss me if she doesn't love me?'_

She realized eventually that she had stopped walking, and when she looked up she discovered she was outside her house. ' _Nothing like getting your soul crushed to make you realize where home truly is,'_ she thought bitterly. She really didn't want to enter the place that so few hours previous felt so threatening, but she had no choice. It was either go home or run away, and she knew that her father could sniff her out. Out of options, she trudged up the stairs, not caring if her parents heard.

Sure enough, her mother came out of the kitchen when she heard the door close. Savannah glared at her icily before she could speak, brushing past her and heading to her room. She was alone, there was no other person she could trust but herself. She collapsed on her bed, staring at the ceiling and desperately fighting her thoughts.

' _ **Useless girl, can't even get your own parents to love you.'**_

' _They're wrong!'_

' _ **Are they? Or are you? Adrianna deserves more than a simple-minded child! What makes you think you're good enough for her?'**_

' _I love her, isn't that enough?'_

' _ **Obviously not.'**_

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" she screamed, covering the sides of her head. She heard footsteps pounding up the stairs, but she couldn't bring herself to care. "I'm not good enough, but I can be."

"Savannah? Savannah, are you okay?!" Marissa screamed, jiggling the knob.

' _No, and I might not ever be again.'_

"Yeah, Mom, I'm fine. Just reading something for English," she called back.

"Well, okay, if you're sure."

"Yeah, I'm fine."

And she would be, she just had to figure out why Adri had retracted her affection.

* * *

School was horrible. Adrianna couldn't so much as look at Savannah and Savannah couldn't stop staring at Adri. The air was thick with tension each class, making the other students incredibly anxious though they didn't know why. Each period was a test of will for both women, one trying extremely hard not to so much as speak to the other, and the younger attempting to figure out why the older was so distant so suddenly.

* * *

It was nearly a month of not speaking, grades sinking, longing looks and physical pain before something occurred to Savannah that could even come remotely close to being the cause of their sudden falling out.

' _Is there someone else maybe? Did I do something wrong? I bet I did, and there probably is someone else that's better than me, someone more deserving. Or maybe she was just pretending all along. No, Adri would never do that! She's not that kind of person._

… _.Maybe I should have listened to Dad. Is this why everyone says that Vampires are heartless?'_

Her eyes misted over as the implications of her thoughts truly surfaced. What if there really was someone else? Someone prettier, smarter, older, _better_? She looked up at the front of the room where the woman she was in such turmoil over was calmly reading a book as she waited for the class to finish their assignment. As if she could feel the stare she looked up, their eyes locking for a split second before emerald gems darted away. Savannah nearly broke into sobs right there. It was the first time in nearly a month that she'd been able to see the redhead's eyes clearly, and also the first time she had looked at her in the same amount of time.

She couldn't take the separation much longer. Soulmate aside, the separation from her Intended was nearly killing her. She was getting less and less sleep every night, not eating, and just felt horrible over all. Had she not been trapped in emotional turmoil, she would have been able to see the effects the rift had on Adri.

The older woman too had been unable to sleep well, was forcing herself to eat, and every so often a sharp pain would shoot through her chest. She refused, however, to acknowledge that it could have anything to do with Savannah's sudden forced departure from her life. She had managed to ignore her for nearly a month, throughout that time battling with her feelings and thoughts. She could see how badly she had hurt the girl, but it had been necessary. Had she not done it she could so easily be dragged into the chaos that was her past life in Romania should she be discovered.

But that moment, that split second of locking gazes, that had hurt perhaps more than anything. She had so easily seen the pain the younger brunette was going through, seen the longing in ice blue orbs. She'd had to look away for fear her own emotions were just as easily portrayed. She felt guilty, so incredibly ashamed of what she had done. Had she continued to look at Savannah she knew she would have begged forgiveness right then, and that just couldn't happen. So she simply bit her lip and looked away, fists clenched beneath her desk where her students couldn't see them. Savannah could never know just how much loved her unless she wished to be doomed to hell with a monster.

* * *

The rest of class after their shared glance was torture for Savannah. She was almost entirely sure her assumptions had been correct, and though the thought of outright confirming them hurt she knew she had to do it, if only to gain some peace of mind. ' _Or throw yourself further into hell.'_ She ignored her thoughts, knowing that should she sink back into their grasp she'd never be able to resurface. When the bell rang signalling the end of the day she remained rooted in her seat, determined to understand what had happened to cause the redhead to say such incredibly hurtful things. When the room was empty save for her and Adri she stood and approached the woman who was doing everything possible to keep from acknowledging her.

She stood and watched her a moment, pain blossoming in her chest as she observed what she had lost and what she still stood to lose. Finally, when it became apparent that she could put off the conversation no longer she sighed and took a step closer.

"Adrianna, we need to talk."

She was trying to keep calm, sound mature, but she wasn't sure how long she could keep that up with the emotions warring in her head and heart.

"No we do not. I believe I made myself perfectly clear," Adri snapped, determined not to drag the girl into her complicated life.

"We do. That was incredibly hurtful and I'd like to know why you said what you did."

"Because, stupid girl, I was telling you the truth! You're confused and naïve, under the impression that love is simple and sweet. Well you're wrong! Now get out, I have work to do."

That was it, the final straw. Tears began slipping down Savannah's cheeks as she looked at the woman who was once so kind.

"I have to know-is there someone else?" she asked quietly, but she knew the woman could hear.

A lightbulb went off in Adri's head. What else could be so perfect as to deter the girl than another lover?

"Yes child, there is another. One I love far more than you can comprehend, one far more suited to my tastes."

Her words came cold and clipped, nearly emotionless, but believable. Savannah's tears flowed faster.

"I see. So I was what? An experiment? A toy?" she asked, jagged breaths breaking her sentences.

"An incredibly useless experiment. But it did serve to show me not to stray. Run along now, I have to meet him for dinner."

She never looked at Savannah, this latest development hurting her nearly as much as the brunette. Savannah gasped, then her entire demeanor shifted. Her eyes, despite the tears still lingering, hardened, and she stood a little straighter.

"Well, everything makes sense now." She chuckled bitterly. "I suppose this is why everyone says Vampires are so cruel."

Her parting shot delivered she turned and left the room, her angry façade shattering as soon as she was out of earshot. The tears returned as ugly sobs forced their way out of her throat, her entire body trembling as she forced herself to keep moving. It had hurt, badly, but at least now she knew exactly what the older woman thought of her. She vowed then that she would never act so quickly again, would wait until she was absolutely sure that her feeling weren't one-sided before revealing them.

As soon as she got outside she looked back at the building, her eyes narrowing in a pitiful attempt at anger. Wrapping her arms around herself she set off for home, not much else to be done.

* * *

Adrianna held herself together until she could no longer hear Savannah's footsteps and then her tears came. The remark about Vampires and cruelty had hurt, but it wasn't entirely untrue either. Most Vampires did take what they wanted, hurt whoever they had to in order to reach their goal. And sometimes, she wished she was like them. Unfeeling, calculating, cold. Her life would certainly be easier, and she definitely wouldn't be in such a tense situation.

But then she wouldn't be herself, and she wasn't sure if she could give up her individuality. And she was incredibly different from most Vampires. Most wouldn't think twice about using a human and throwing them away, but ever since she'd crushed Savannah's soul she could do nothing _but_ think about it. Her chest ached dully every day, the pain intensifying when seventh period rolled around and Savannah entered her classroom. The throbbing was nearly unbearable, her heart seeming to squeeze whenever she thought about what she had done.

She refused to acknowledge that it was because the girl was right and they were soulmates, rather she blamed it on stress and the constant emotional whirlwind she found herself in every day. But that last blow up, that last jab had nearly done it, nearly made her confess then and there that she was lying and Savannah was right, that the hurtful things she had said were lies. But she hadn't because she loved her too much to potentially drag her into a world that would kill her. She loved her, which was why she was letting her go.

After all, what did her happiness matter anyway?

* * *

Ethan was beyond pissed off. His request of the school to put Savannah in a different algebra class had not only been denied but he had been laughed out of the office. Well, not literally, but he could tell that that's what the office desk jockey had wanted to do. "I'm sorry," she'd said, "but with classes being over half-way through the year we aren't able to switch your daughter's teacher. It just isn't practical." Practical his ass. He was the motherfucking parent, he knew what was best for his child, school policies be damned.

But, he supposed, he hadn't truly had to do anything. The dumb bitch of a Vampire had gone and done his job for him from what he understood, or rather from what he had gleaned from conversations, short though they may be, between his wife and daughter. Their separation made it all the easier for him to set his plan into motion, which, if he was lucky, could be completed in mere months. And by the end of those months no one would have to worry about a Vampire again.

The phone rang, distracting him from his planning.

"Hello? Ah yes, just the wolf I was hoping to hear. Have you told the others? What did they say? Mmm, just as I thought. Relay that they needn't worry about accidentally hurting my daughter, she shouldn't be anywhere near the vermin when we attack.

Yeah, the bloodsucker scared her off, made my job a lot easier. Of course it's just one more reason to end her, she hurt my daughter. Exactly. So everything's set? We'll meet at the city line and then track her down. Good, good. How soon can everyone be here?

That long? Well, I've lived near her this long, I suppose I can wait a few more months. But no longer, understand? Excellent. I trust the next time I hear from you will be when we meet."

He hung up, a sinister smile curving his lips. Oh yes, this would be well worth the wait. The monster would go down, Bailey City would be safe, and they would get away unscathed. And best of all, Savannah would be none the wiser.


	15. Glue Me Together With Your Tears

Hurt. Pain. Darkness.

This was Savannah's world as she struggled to survive in an eternity without Adrianna. Days seemed dull, the spring sun's reinvigorating brightness barely coloring anything, the flowers pale, the sky gray even when blue. She was beginning to lose weight, a side effect of not eating, and very rarely shifted. Her parents, displeased with her though they were, were concerned. Even her friends called her out for being distant, though as of late she hadn't been particularly close to any of them.

Finally, one day in mid-April, Howie, Eddie, Melody, and Liza stepped in. They cornered her in the hall after the final bell, not a difficult task considering she didn't put up a fight.

"Savannah," Melody said, ever the leader. The pale girl looked up, and the group gasped as they took her in. Her hermit-like ways had prevented them from truly seeing the extent of her changes. Skin that was once a healthy tan now glowed moon-pale, dark bruises ringed eyes that seemed lifeless, and her shoulders had a visible slump. "We've been worried," the darker girl continued, recovering from her shock.

"'M fine," Savannah protested, though it didn't sound convincing.

"No you're not," Howie said gently. "Something has upset you and we want to know what it is. We may not be as close anymore, but we still care about you, right guys?"

The other three nodded their affirmation, including Eddie, though he looked supremely uncomfortable.

"Talk to us," Liza pleaded.

"Not your problem," Savannah murmured. "My hell to live."

The four exchanged glances. The brunette noticed, but couldn't muster enough feeling to care. Something pushed against her chest, weakly, something akin to shame, but just as soon as it appeared it was gone. She absentmindedly scratched at her left forearm, the healing skin itching.

"Let us help you," Howie pleaded again, blue orbs swimming with sadness.

"Nothing to be helped," Savannah answered, more conviction in this than any of her other responses.

Howie paused, realizing he had struck a nerve, slight though it may be.

"Sure there is, every problem has a solution. Sometimes it just takes more than one person to find it."

He reached out, touching her arm. She recoiled quickly, almost as though his touch had burned her. Howie pulled back his hand, hurt showing on his face.

"Sorry," Savannah said, "not you, just don't wanna be touched."

She couldn't bear to be touched anymore, not after that day that Adrianna had ripped her apart. The day that would forever be burned into her heart.

"What happened to you?" Eddie asked, finally speaking up. "You used to be so happy, so full of life. Now you look like a ghost, act like one, too." He spared a glance at the others. "I don't know about them, but I'm fucking sick of it. I might not really say it, but you and them," he thumbed over at the others, "you're my best friends, and I love you guys. So you're gonna tell us what's wrong or we're gonna find someone who can."

Savannah sighed, still unable to muster emotion.

"If I tell you, it goes nowhere. Got it?"

"Got it," the group chorused.

Savannah sighed, shouldering off her backpack and sliding to the floor. She pulled her legs up, wrapping her arms around her knees and hugging them. Silently, Howie, Eddie, Melody, and Liza sat too, crossing their legs and waiting for what they knew would be a powerful tale.

"Before I tell you what happened, there's something you guys need to know. I'm a lesbian." Her fear of coming out had long since be vanquished. After all, nothing could be worse than being shunned by your own parents. Receiving no reaction other than a few smiles, she continued. "Right, so, I fell in love." Liza and Melody gasped while the boys merely raised an eyebrow.

"Do we know her?" Melody asked.

Savannah allowed a smirk to come over her lips, though there was no amusement in the expression, rather a twisted sense of delight at their cluelessness. "Yes, and before you ask I'm not going to tell you who it is. The point is, I'd been attracted to her for a while, and came to find out she felt the same. It was a shock, as we'd been friends for a while and she'd never indicated my feelings were returned. We kissed, spent some time together." Looks were shared between the friends, confusion obvious. "Later on, the same day in fact, she took it all back."

Her tone became bitter, overflowing with pain.

"She said I had been an experiment, a bad one, and that it taught her not to stray. She said she only felt sorry for me." Her voice began to waver, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I loved her, still love her!"

Unintentionally, she began digging at her left forearm, not noticing when the light gray fabric of her jacket began sticking to it. Howie, Melody, and Liza exchanged a glance.

"Why don't you try and talk to her?" Melody asked, edging closer.

Her eyes darted from Savannah's face to her sleeve, which was slowly turning a deep rust color.

"I did," she muttered, her nails slowing their gouging. "That's when she told me there was someone else."

Melody grabbed her hand, stilling the movement of her fingers. Gently, she pulled up the sleeve, gasping as she took in the blood and numerous cuts lining her friend's forearm.

"Savannah," she breathed, "did you do this because of her?"

"And if did? Not like it matters."

"It does matter!" Liza protested. "You shouldn't want to hurt yourself because someone hurt you!"

"It's the only way I can feel anything anymore."

The group shared an uneasy glance. The whole conversation had taken an incredibly darker turn. They didn't know what to do, short of getting an adult involved, but none were too keen on that idea either.

"Have you said anything to your parents? Not necessarily about this!" Liza rushed to add.

Savannah laughed darkly.

"Why would they care? I disgraced my family according to my father, not to mention they hated the woman."

The four squirmed uneasily. If they thought they were out of their element before, they definitely were at this point.

"Well, you should talk to someone," Howie said. "And maybe you should try talking to this crush of yours, too. Maybe the whole thing is just a big misunderstanding. Or maybe she's afraid of something." They stood up, gathering their backpacks and various belongings. "Think about it."

The promise that if she didn't they would find help hung unspoken in the air. She nodded absently, the gears of her mind already turning. Howie's thoughts actually made sense. Thinking back, it was impossible for Adrianna to have been with anyone else. At the very least she would have been able to catch their scent lingering on her or her belongings. So, what was it then?

The only logical explanation was that she was afraid. But of what? Adri was one of the strongest women she knew, what could she possibly be afraid of?

It hit her like a ton of bricks.

Her family. That had to be it. Where there was one Shifter there was bound to be more, and their races were sworn enemies. If she had to guess, she supposed Adri was afraid that if her parents discovered her secret they would kill her, and she could understand that. Looking at it, one lone Vampire against even two Shifters was not good odds. But her parents did know, and yes they were angry, but they hadn't tried to kill her!

Satisfied that she'd figured it out, she vowed to try and repair the tatters their relationship had become.

The stinging of her arm drew her attention and she hissed quietly, for the first time truly feeling the pain the gashes caused. She looked at the rows of cuts lining her arm, feeling slightly ashamed at herself for making them in the first place. There were no concrete feelings yet, but there were flutters for the first time in months.

She glanced down the hallway toward the woman's doorway, unable to force herself into motion. There were so many hurtful words exchanged the last time they talked, so many things said and unsaid. She'd do it tomorrow, she decided, giver herself some time to find the right words for what was surely going to be a difficult conversation.

Satisfied, she stood, giving the corridor one last look before heading in the opposite direction, the one that led her home.

* * *

Tomorrow turned into the next day, which turned into the next, and so on, and before Savannah knew it a month had passed. Two weeks of school remained, and Savannah knew she had to do it, she had to seek out Adrianna, perhaps for the last time. The extra month between them had only provided the way for overwhelming anxiety to take root. She noted idly that that always seemed to be the prominent emotion when dealing with the redhead. But at least it was something. For the longest time she hadn't been able to feel anything, so the rush of adrenaline as she approached the room was a welcome change.

She had deliberately waited as long as possible after the final bell to approach the woman, not only to stall, but to ensure absolute privacy. Sure enough, Adrianna was just finishing the last of the paperwork for the year, mainly final grades and the like. She watched her for a minute feeling the familiar pang in her heart that came whenever she laid eyes on her. She took in the way the afternoon sun lit up her hair with golden highlights, giving the illusion of fire, and the way it made her skin glow. She drank in the image, figuring if she wasn't going to have the chance to see it many more times she may as well walk away with a decent memory.

Taking a steadying breath, she knocked lightly on the doorframe, savoring the final few seconds before the woman turned and saw her. Adri turned, a greeting dying on her lips and posture tensing as she saw who was at her door. Savannah could practically feel the different emotions emanating from her as they looked at one another. She gave a weak smile, hopefully hiding her swirling thoughts and emotions.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Hi," Adri responded, equally as quietly.

Savannah shuffled her feet for a minute before signing and walking into the room, ignoring the woman's subtle attempts to move away. She dropped her backpack on one of the desks in the front row, hopping on top of the one beside it. She crossed her ankles as stared at the ceiling, leaning back on her hands as she thought of a way to start the conversation. She felt Adrianna starting at her, not without anxiety as she waited for her to speak. She remained silent, gathering her words and arranging them so that her point would be obvious. It was so quiet that when she did speak both jumped a little.

"I know you lied to me."

Adrianna looked up sharply, a thrill of fear tingling in her belly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, trying to sound as indifferent as possible, though the waver in her voice said otherwise.

"Adrianna, I know there isn't anyone else."

The woman's calm facadé shattered. It was perhaps the most flustered Savannah had ever seen her.

"You….how?"

"I'm a wolf remember? Enhanced senses, like smell? If there had really been anyone else I would have been able to catch their scent."

Adrianna could have slapped herself as she realized she had overlooked that large detail. Internally, she was beginning to panic. While she had missed the girl in their months apart, she had contented herself in the the knowledge that while they were separated Savannah was safe. She knew from the look on the brunette's face that that would end soon. She deflated, her shock ebbing away. This had to be dealt with, and while she still didn't think they could make anything of their connection, she was tired of fighting.

She sighed.

"Alright, I admit it. But you were so upset last time, why are you here?"

Savannah gave her a sad smile.

"Because I've learned that if you give up you never get what you want," she answered. Her tone carried exhaustion, and both knew this was the last chance they had to build a relationship. "I still want to be with you, but we need to talk and lay everything out in the open. Even if we don't have anything more than a friendship, I want to make sure we both feel okay with everything."

This was not the same child she'd scarred so severely months before, she realized. Her eyes held a sadness far older than her age, a deep-rooted resignation settled there. It was not a look she cared for.

She nodded, understanding that a conversation was best for both of them.

"Very well, where would you like to begin?"

A sad smile crossed the girl's features, and for a moment the older woman wondered just how badly she had hurt her. Blue eyes, while not losing their sadness, did sparkle just a tad as she answered.

"I'd like to begin with us sitting next to each other like adults as we discuss an extremely important part of our future."

No, this was no child, not any longer.

"If you desire," she replied, causing a chair to shoot to the front of her desk.

'In front, beside, close enough,' Savannah thought as she changed seats.

She was now closer to the redhead then she had been in over three months, and she felt her very soul tingle as the proximity and the sensation that just was Adrianna enveloped her. Her eyes slipped closed as she sighed quietly, her ears picking up a softer sound of contentment from across from her. She slit them open just in time to see the look of pure ecstasy crossing the woman's features. It mesmerized her for a few seconds before she got a grip on herself and refocused on the task at hand. She waited patiently until the other woman had gotten over her euphoria before beginning.

"Okay, now that we've both established how great that felt, let's discuss why you're so vehemently against this."

Adrianna sighed, unsure of where to begin before choosing the most obvious.

"I'm nearly old enough to be your mother."

Of all the things Savannah thought the redhead was going to bring up, age had been the least expected. She felt a laugh bubble up inside her at that. They were from warring races, she was her teacher, her parents hated her, and age was what she wanted to talk about, of all things? She pushed down the laughter, forcing herself to consider what the redhead was saying.

"You don't look a day over twenty-five," Savannah said, allowing her eyes to roam over what she could see of the other woman. "I'm fifteen. At most you're old enough to be my sister, nothing more."

"I'm twenty-eight actually," Adri replied, smirking.

"Thirteen years. Mmmm, nope, still sister. Next."

Adrianna was taken aback by how easily the brunette had disregarded the age difference.

"But don't you care about that vast gap?" she asked. "People will say things, horrible things, even when you're of age."

Sapphire eyes softened, warmth replacing the sadness.

"Do you remember when I told you I loved you?" The woman's flinch answered for her. "I meant that. I don't care about your age, and I sure as hell don't care about what others think. You're beautiful, inside and out, and I want to have a chance to appreciate that beauty as someone other than a sort-of-friend, okay?" She waited for the hesitant nod before giving her a smile. "Besides," she added, smirking now, "you're fucking hot."

Adrianna couldn't help herself, she dissolved into laughter. Savannah followed soon after, the sound jarring in its lightness and reappearance after a months long absence. When they'd calmed down, Adrianna motioned for Savannah to pick up the conversation.

"Before anything, I want you to know that this isn't some one-night stand. I want you to know that, if need be, I'd choose you over everyone, including my parents." She let her words sink in before continuing. "Ancient bonds aside, I do love you for you. And I'd like to know what made you reject me so quickly and in the way you did."

How was she supposed to answer this? Tell her that she'd lost it because not only had she realized she was way too old for her (although apparently that didn't matter) she was afraid for her very life? That she'd been far too damaged and was afraid of shattering her like had been done to her? That, if she'd admit it, she truly loved the young brunette and was afraid of her leaving once she realized just how damaged she was? That, in all honesty, she was afraid of love?

"Adrianna," Savannah said, startling her, "talk to me. I know there's at least one reason for what you said. I can see it in your eyes. You're afraid and hurting, tell me so I can help."

She took a deep breath, locking her eyes with the blue that haunted her dreams, and, seeing immense concern and love, released it.

"I admit that what I said was hurtful," she began, looking away, unable to bear looking into eyes that were so forgiving. "And I'm sorry. But before I tell you why I said what I did I need to tell you a story." She took a deep breath. This was going to be hard, but it was necessary. If she ever wanted Savannah to understand her then she needed to know of her fears and her history.

"In Romania some sixty-seven years ago a little girl was born into a very respected family. Her parents doted on her and showed her immense love, but something was still missing from her life. As she grew so did the feeling that she didn't belong, but she learned to control it, to push it away. And by the time she was sixteen she had mastered concealing her feelings. She had grown into a lovely lady, and, as was typical in that time, she was to be married.

She had caught the eye of a young lord of a neighboring family, and though outwardly he was kind, something was off putting about him and the girl did not like him. He, however, was determined to have her, and doubled his efforts in courting her. It wasn't long before she discovered that his family had threatened to attack hers if she would not marry him. Fearing for the safety of her parents and brother, she did so. Her husband was pleased for a time, and things were well until he discovered that she had never truly loved him."

 _'Holy shit, she's talking about herself. She's telling me about her past. Oh my god,'_ Savannah thought as Adri continued to speak. She wondered what had prompted this discussion, and filed away the birthdate for a later conversation.

"He was furious, for though he had mainly lusted after her, he felt that, as his wife, she should love him. It wasn't long after that she saw him for what he truly was, a monster. He raged at her, tore her down, destroyed her, broke her. Her family watched as she became a shadow of herself, but could do nothing, as according to Romanian law she was his to do with as he pleased.

Another family, rivals to her husband's, were ironically the ones that simultaneously gave her her freedom and damned her. They offered her a way out of her awful marriage, so simple yet so horrible. All she had to do, was kill him. Her family and theirs would become allies of a sort, and she'd be free. She didn't love him, but she didn't want him dead. The elders of that family didn't react well, and soon a war broke out between the three families.

Many died, and for years it was unsafe to go anywhere, to trust anyone. The girl's father was among the first to die, and her husband followed soon after. Afraid for her life, the girl's mother begged her to flee. She did as she asked, and escaped to America after much planning. She settled in a small city, alone, hurt, afraid, and unable to trust." She smiled bitterly, tears beginning to obscure her vision, the floor tile she'd been staring at growing fuzzy. "I don't want to lose you, too. They're looking for me still.

The Vampire you killed that night was from the clan that wanted my husband dead. He had been sent to track me, to taunt me, to damage me further before reporting back to the family elders. To be attached to me in any way is a death sentence."

In that moment, Savannah, who could barely believe what she's just heard, understood several things. That Adrianna honestly believed that loving her would cause her to die. That, in her own mixed up and twisted way, she'd been trying to protect her. That she did, indeed love her. That her beautiful redhead was afraid to trust her. That she was afraid to be loved.

Everything made a little more sense than it had before she'd walked into the classroom, and now that she had the whole picture she was adamant to not only heal the woman across from her, but also prove to her that love could be wonderful.

But at the moment, the strong woman in front of her was barely holding it together, and she could see the invisible cracks spanning across her skin. Her expression shifting from hurt and understanding to determined, she crossed to the other side of the desk and knelt beside her, taking her hands in her own and ignoring the woman's flinch. She tilted her head to face her, her heart breaking as she saw the tears glittering in emerald eyes.

"Oh Adri," she whispered, the two words saying more than she ever could.

The woman broke then, collapsing forward and sending them both crashing to the floor. Savannah caught her, pulling her to rest on top of her and urging her to tuck her head into her neck. The redhead did as prompted, allowing herself to cry for the first time in years. She grieved for her father, whom she'd loved dearly, and for the mother that she'd lost that could very well be dead. She cried because even though Savannah was holding her she'd surely leave now that she knew how broken she was. She cried because her fears were coming true. And she cried because doing so lifted a weight she'd hadn't known she'd been carrying.

Savannah held her the entire time, and had Adrianna's sobs not been so plentiful and had she not been trapped so thoroughly in her mind, she would have noticed the tears slipping down the girl's cheeks, some of which wet the top of her head. She cried for the woman in her arms who had lost so much, who held so much fear and so much pain, and prayed to any god that would listen that she could help her.

Finally, when the brunette feared that Adrianna was going to sob to the point of dehydration, her tears began to slow. Savannah sat them both up, making sure to keep the distraught woman tucked into her side, and began running her hand across her back.

"I understand," she whispered when silence once again blanketed the room.

"You do?" Adri asked, voice hoarse as she pushed herself up so that she could look the girl in the face.

"Yes, and now I want to ask you a question." She waited for the small nod of approval before speaking. "Do you want to be with me? Honestly, do you? If you say no I'll understand and never speak of it again, but think about it for a little bit."

Adrianna averted her eyes, feeling the most vulnerable she had ever felt since she married her husband all those years ago. She began fiddling with the girl's jacket sleeve as she thought, though she already knew what she wanted. The question was, could she actually convince herself to take it?

She grew distracted as her fingers brushed against scars. Frowning, she tugged up the sleeve, feeling the body beneath her tense. She gasped as she saw the thin lines marring the once perfect skin, going all the way up to the elbow. Her eyes flicked back up to Savannah's face, nearly pulling away when she saw how it had hardened.

"What are these?" she asked hesitantly, though she had a sneaking suspicion of why they were there.

"Later," Savannah answered, her hand covering the slender one tracing her scars. "We'll talk about it later."

The woman nodded, replacing the sleeve and hiding the cuts.

"Savannah," she called quietly, feeling her gaze settle on her immediately. "I know what I want, but I don't know if it's the right decision. What about the rest of the town? Your family?"

"That's not what I asked," Savannah said gently, tilting the woman's head so she could look into her eyes. "I asked what you wanted. Don't think about anything else but what you want."

"I want this, so much," the redhead whispered, as if admitting it aloud would send Vampires and Shifters swooping in. "But I'm scared."

"Adrianna, listen to me," the girl began, separating them, fighting back a wince as she watched the older woman curl in on herself. "I love you so much, and I know you've heard it before and it carried empty promises, empty words, but I mean it with all my heart and soul. I know you may not believe me, but please give me the chance to prove it. If you want this we'll go as slowly as you want, the rest of society be damned. I don't care what others think, I only care about you.

I spent the time we were apart thinking, wondering how to give this a chance. And I finally realized the only way was to just go for it. I'm scared too, because not only am I young, but I've never felt this way about anyone. I love you so deeply that it physically hurts to see you in pain. I want this more than I can put into words. I think we both do. I also think it's time to tell everyone else to fuck off so that we can be happy. Agree?"

Adri nodded, though she still refused to meet her gaze. She knew she was right, but that paralyzing fear just would not settle. So many things could go wrong, could Savannah not see that? She could feel a panic attack approaching and knew she was going to lose it. Savannah, sensing her inner turmoil, grabbed her hand. Panicked verdant eyes shot up and locked with hers.

"Hey, shhh, it's okay. Deep breaths." She waited until the woman was somewhat calmer before finishing her initial point. "I want this, you want this. Let's make this work, okay? Or at least give it a try?" Adrianna nodded, still stunned and emotionally drained, but also somehow more centered than she'd been in years. Savannah smiled, pure happiness radiating from her. "Great. Now come here so I can give my girlfriend proper cuddles."

Laughing, Adrianna collapsed into the girl's waiting arms. As she tucked her face against her neck, Savannah leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"I will not leave you."

For the second time in less than an hour, Adrianna burst into tears.


	16. Summer Sun and Rose Petals

Savannah didn't believe in luck, nor did she believe in God, but in the weeks following their little pow wow she thanked both her lucky stars and the aforementioned deity that the meeting had turned out as it had.

It was extremely tentative at first, not that she could blame the woman, and she saw a completely different side to the powerful redhead. There was the mask she put on in public, the mask she wore even at home, and then there was her true self, an insecure, abused woman desperate for but afraid of affection. It was hard at first, when Adri would shy away from her touch or flinch when she came near, but gradually she'd gotten her past that stage, and could now hold her and show her affection without the risk of a panic attack.

* * *

 _It was so hard at first. One wrong word, one quick move would send Adrianna running. She could barely touch her and she'd flinch, and that hurt both of them more than words could express. What made it worse was the clear longing she could see in Adri's eyes and face, the longing to be touched, to be comforted, to be loved._

 _That was perhaps the biggest demon they had to face, her fear of love. Savannah's tactic was to let Adri set the pace and be there for her as much as the redhead would allow. She hoped that it would show her she was there to stay._

 _Their relationship continued to crawl, Savannah afraid to push and Adri afraid to commit, until one day in late June. Savannah was curled up on the couch reading a book and Adri was off doing something elsewhere. The sounds she made as she moved around the house provided a background to the brunette's reading. It soothed her knowing that the woman had become comfortable enough to go about her business as though she wasn't there. It was progress, small though it may be._

 _She turned page after page, becoming engrossed in the story. It wasn't until she registered the silence that she looked up. Adri was standing the doorway looking afraid and unsure, and Savannah had learned to be still during these times and allow her to figure it out on her own. Even from so far away she could see emotions racing through emerald gems before the woman gained a determined expression. Adri never took her eyes off of her as she crossed the room and settled herself beside her on the couch. She held her breath as the woman slowly slid closer, Adri's confidence faltering as she got close enough to feel her body heat. She bit her lip but didn't stop, not until she was tucked securely against her side._

 _Savannah froze, stiffening as Adri's soft curves pressed against her. It was more from shock than anything. Slowly, so she wouldn't startle her, she raised her right arm and wrapped it around her girlfriend's shoulders, pulling her just a tad closer. She felt her relax after a few tense seconds and breathed a sigh of relief, pride and happiness exploding through her chest as she went back to her book, dropping a kiss on fiery hair as she did so. Adri sighed quietly, enjoying the comfort the girl gave._

* * *

By the beginning of July she was actually starting to become comfortable with their relationship, which pleased Savannah greatly, especially since their relationship had faltered after the story of her scars came out.

* * *

 _Savannah knew they needed to talk about it, needed to get it into the open and lay it to rest. She'd promised Adri that they'd talk about it, back on the day that felt like a lifetime ago. But she didn't know if she could._

 _How were you supposed to tell the person you loved that they were the reason behind your self-harm?_

 _Especially perfect little Adrianna. Adrianna, who went above and beyond to show her how much she loved her, be it with little gifts or loving looks or kind words. Adrianna, who was so damaged herself. Adrianna, who had only just grown comfortable with their relationship. Adrianna, who might run._

 _How could she risk all of that?_

 _But she had promised, and one thing she had vowed never to do was to lie to her girlfriend. So as June waned and July approached, and they grew closer, she sat her down and told herself it was time. She knew the woman wondered about the scars, could feel her tracing them unconsciously while they cuddled. She sighed, taking the redhead's hands in her own, more to ground herself than her partner._

 _Adrianna's eyes darted from their joined hands to her face. It was drenched in sadness and pain, usually bright blue eyes dull and dead. She felt her heart speed up, subconsciously tracing her thumb across the palm of Savannah's hand. The brunette looked up, giving her a weak smile before looking away once again._

" _Adri, there's something I need to tell you," Savannah began, and she knew without looking that pure terror had replaced the concerned look on the woman's face. "Do you remember when you asked what these scars were? Well-"_

 _Adrianna's face was a whirlwind of emotions as Savannah's story came out. How she had steadily grown more depressed after her harsh rejection to the point that emotions ceased to exist. How eventually the only way to feel anything at all was to cut, until even that failed to provide release but became a habit that she was unable to function without. How it was all her fault._

 _The last bit, though not voiced or even implied, was clearly understood by the redhead, and she felt her heart twist with the knowledge that she had caused her girl so much pain. The thought that she had put the girl through so much resonated around her mind and it was all she could do to remain still and listen to the rest of the story._

" _But none of that matters now, because it's over," Savannah said, voice thick with tears. "I owed you this explanation, and I felt like now was the right time to tell you, because I think I've finally begun to heal, and you've helped me get here. I love you so much, Adri."_

 _She looked up then, for the first time since she'd sat them down, and immediately felt red flags raise in her mind. Adrianna had the blank look she'd get when she was lost in a particularly painful memory, the look that usually promised lots of tears and reassurances that everything was fine. Green eyes were far-away and cloudy, the life seeming to have gone out of them, and there were tear tracks decorating her cheeks._

" _Adri?" she said quietly, giving the delicate hands she held a light squeeze, her concern mounting when she received no response. "Adrianna? Sweetheart?"_

 _She jumped when emerald orbs snapped up to face her, pale hands jerking out of her grasp. Her eyes darted to the woman's face, alarmed when she saw the shields and masks slamming into place._

" _It's my fault. All my fault," the woman murmured, her eyes unfocusing once again. "I didn't even notice."_

" _Adri-"_

 _She was gone before Savannah could blink. Her eyes darted around, hoping there was something to alert her to the Vampire's whereabouts, but she found nothing. She swore, her hands flying to her hair. Her fingers entangled in it, tugging and providing the pain she needed to refocus and ground herself._

" _Okay, okay, she has to be around somewhere. You can find her, you've done it before. Just because she ran doesn't mean she's giving up, she's probably just overloaded. Just breathe and find her."_

 _She took a deep breath, shifting and ignoring the voice that told her Adri's reaction had been inevitable. Growling as the world sharpened around her, she opened her eyes, ears swiveling as she searched for any sign of her girlfriend. She caught her scent leading out of the house, and huffed at the predictability of the situation. When Adri ran, she_ ran.

 _She trotted out of the house, using her weight to force open the ancient front door. Adri's scent led her toward the woods, and she rolled her eyes. Of all the places she could have chosen, the woods had to be it. Shaking her head, she released a howl, knowing the woman would hear it and know she was coming. One panic attack for the day was enough, no need to cause another by surprising her._

 _As she ran, she couldn't help but notice how unusually hard it was to track her scent, and the thought that the redhead was deliberately avoiding her hurt. Her insecurities nagged at her and picked at her emotional scars, and she did her best to ignore them and focus on the task at hand. But that didn't stop the tears from emerging and rolling into her fur, staining it a darker shade of black._

 _Finally, after being led astray twice and losing the the trail once, Savannah spied Adri curled against the base of a large oak, her hands listlessly tracing the scars in the bark. Her eyes were far away, a sign that she was still in whatever world her mind had created. The wolf turned and backtracked about a half mile, releasing another howl as a final warning before returning to the tree. Adri hadn't moved, though she had tensed._

 _Huffing, she approached slowly, unsure if she would run again. She bumped her shoulder with her head, and when no result was forthcoming deemed it safe enough to shift back. She sat slightly behind her and to her left, careful not to touch her. The silence between them was suffocating, and it wasn't long before she broke it._

" _It wasn't your fault."_

" _It was."_

" _No," she said firmly, "it wasn't." Adri turned her head just enough so that she could see her. "It was a combination of things, but I won't outright lie and say the rejection had nothing to do with it. It was more like that was final straw. Between that day and my parents' rejection and about a thousand other things, I just lost it."_

 _Tears began falling as she recalled how she'd felt back in those dark months, and how she'd felt after watching Adri run from her again. This had the woman turning to face her fully, and though she seemed hesitant, she pulled the brunette to rest against her, using the tree trunk for support. Savannah curled against her, basking in the unexpected but not unwanted comfort._

" _And then when you ran earlier, it just brought all those feelings rushing back to the surface. I know you didn't mean it, that you would never deliberately hurt me, but it did."_

 _Adrianna was silent for a few moments as she contemplated what to say._

" _I know, rationally thinking, that your ordeal wasn't entirely my fault. But when you told me that the trigger was what happened that day, I just couldn't help it. I assumed, and I got scared, and I felt guilty, and I just couldn't take it. I do care for you...greatly." She stumbled, still unable to admit her love outright._

 _She buried her nose in black hair that carried the scent of the forest and sighed, realizing how broken they both truly were. Not for the first time she questioned if they were really meant to be together. How were they supposed to work if she kept running and Savannah couldn't even talk to her?_

 _She pushed those thoughts away, using the body pressed against her as a weapon against her mind._

 _Savannah laughed breathily at her girlfriend's words, reaching up to trace the side of her face._

" _Look at us," she whispered. "All jagged pieces and dark colors."_

 _Adri hummed._

" _And yet, here we are," she replied, lifting her head to stare at the sunlight slanting through the leaves._

" _Here we are," Savannah agreed._

 _She tucked her head into the crook of Adri's neck, following her gaze to the leaves. The woman looked down, marveling at her luck, and promising herself to do better, to be more open._

 _The following days were tense, Adri fighting her own mental demons and Savannah trying to support her, all while worrying that it was the end of the happiest time of her life. The woman could barely look at her scars without remembering the woods and how hurt the girl had been. Guilt was threatening to eat her alive but she pushed back, forcing herself to see the situation differently._

 _By the end of the tumultuous period of emotions, Adri had found a new confidence. She understood that while Savannah was young, she wouldn't leave her. She understood that together they could help the other heal. She understood that what they had_ would _work if she would allow it. So when the opportunity arose to show her girl that she loved her, she proudly held her, and was the rock she needed as she recovered from a particularly nasty flashback._

* * *

Since then, Adri had been more receptive to nearly everything, though she still tensed when Savannah said the 'L' word. She had actually taken the upper hand in the relationship, and Savannah found the changes not only amazing in comparison to the broken woman Adri had been, but also very attractive. Of course they still had their moments, and in such times it was a toss of the coin as to who would hold it together enough to comfort the other, but they kept trying, and gradually those moments began to come with less frequency. They were healing, slowly, but it was happening.

And by mid-August, well, things were getting interesting to say the least.

* * *

"Just wear it, please? For me?" Adri begged, holding out the offending item.

Savannah looked at it and then at her as if she'd grown two more heads.

"You realize you're asking me to wear a collar. A dog collar."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Well we can't very well go around holding hands in public can we?" Adri asked sarcastically. "I thought this way we could go out and not be questioned."

Grudgingly, Savannah took the collar.

"So you want to pass me off as an enormous dog?"

"Yes!"

Groaning, but unable to deny the woman, Savannah shifted, dropping the collar at her feet. Nearly squealing in happiness, Adrianna picked it up and fastened it around her neck, quite pleased with the results. Savannah turned to look in the mirror, and though she'd never admit it, wasn't too upset. The collar was made of a sturdy black leather that matched her fur perfectly, the jewels embedded in it (emeralds and sapphires of course) glittered in the low light of the room, as did the golden pendant engraved with a delicate 'S'. She still wasn't sure where the woman had gotten the thing, but she could definitely think of a few more uses for it than just a disguise. Shaking her head, she shifted back, slightly surprised when the collar remained. It looked even better on her human self, and she couldn't stop the smirk from curling across her lips.

"Okay, maybe this isn't so bad," she admitted, deliberately ignoring the woman's look of satisfaction.

"Told you so."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, rolling her eyes. Internally, she was marveling at how far they had come in three months. It almost reminded her of back when they were merely friends and had spoken to each other without fear of consequence or anxiety attacks. She turned to look at herself once more, tracing her fingers across the pendant. "You know, if it wasn't so wide, this could almost pass for a necklace," she mused, missing the subtle widening of verdant eyes.

Adrianna had to remind herself in that moment that, no, Savannah did not know what she was unintentionally implying, and that she was too young to know of such things. She could not, however, control the the light blush that spread from her cheeks to her chest. Sapphire orbs locked onto the color change, smirking as her eyes traced it to the neckline of the woman's tank top. Adri coughed, turning away before she did something stupid, like kiss the smug look away and teach her just what kinds of things that collar could be used for on a human body.

The brunette grinned, pleased she could cause such a reaction. She wandered over to the woman's side, wrapping herself around her and resting her head on her shoulder.

"Come on, I know I look good, but not that good," she teased, successfully causing Adri's embarrassment and arousal to fade into thin air.

She started laughing, unable to help it, thinking that if the girl knew how beautiful she actually was she'd never hear the end of it. She shoved her away playfully, rolling her eyes.

"Have you ever heard of modesty?" she joked, emerald eyes shining and momentarily distracting the younger of the two.

"Nope!" she replied with a grin, snapping herself out of it.

They laughed, the sound mesmerizing in its purity. Savannah regained control of herself first, sobering and taking the rare opportunity to watch the older woman in all her glory. She lived for moments like these, where they were normal and unburdened and Adri laughed freely. It was beautiful. _She_ was beautiful.

As the redhead calmed she noticed the incredibly focused stare the younger woman had on her. It wasn't intense exactly, nor did it make her uncomfortable, in fact it nearly made her feel attractive. She blushed, this one lighter than the first, and wrapped her left hand around her waist in a half hug.

"What?" she asked, almost shyly.

Savannah didn't reply, merely stepped forward, leaving only a few inches between their bodies. Adri's breathing picked up for some inexplicable reason, and she felt her stomach flip pleasantly. Remaining silent, Savannah leaned ever closer, and time seemed to slow. Soft pink met darker rose, and two pairs of eyes slipped closed.

For the rest of her life, Adrianna would swear that the moment their lips touched sparks flew, and her heart literally stopped beating.

It seemed as though the world had stopped and it was only them and the soft beams of the late afternoon sun that warmed them as they finally shared what they had yearned for for so long. Savannah took it all in. The warmth and softness of Adri's mouth, the way it felt pressed against hers, and how her very soul seemed to sing. Adri simply kissed. She lost herself in it, drowned in the absolute happiness and complete fulfilment she felt, and reminded herself to never let go.

As the kiss came to an end and the world resumed turning they leaned back, drawing a simultaneous breath. Adrianna was the first to open her eyes, and she was astounded by what she saw. Savannah still hung in the moment of bliss, her lips slightly red and her cheeks flushed. She practically glowed, and in that moment Adri understood that there would never be anyone else she loved as much as the brunette in her arms.

Slowly, azure eyes flitted open, locking with her own as a breathtaking smile settled on the girl's face.

"Wow," Savannah breathed, lifting her hand from Adri's shoulder to run it through her hair.

She couldn't remember when her arms had settled on the woman's slightly taller shoulders, but if she was touching her then she wasn't going to argue. Adri chuckled, tightening her arms around the brunette's waist that she, like Savannah, didn't remember encircling in the first place.

"Wow is one way to put it."

"At the moment it's the only word my recovering brain can come up with."

"It was that good?" Adri asked, shocked that the girl felt the same as she did.

"It was better than good, it was perfect. It was one hell of a first kiss." Savannah said tenderly, though her tone carried a hint of seriousness.

"First kiss? But that wasn't our first kiss," Adri said, remembering the day she had kissed her and before everything had gone to hell.

She tensed unconsciously, and Savannah knew what she was thinking of. She shifted her hold so that she also held her by the waist. Her hand lightly traced circles on her lower back, her eyes never leaving the redhead's face.

"As far as I'm concerned, it was." The woman tried to protest but Savannah barreled on. "Because," she said, cutting the woman off, "now we both know what we want, and where we belong. So this, right here, was our first kiss. Okay?"

Adri didn't even need to think about agreeing.

"Okay," she said, accepting the offer as the fresh beginning it was.

"Good," Savannah said with a grin, pulling away. "Now I can brag to my friends that my incredibly hot girlfriend blew my mind with her kiss."

Adri laughed, unable to help herself.

"I sincerely hope I witness that conversation."

"Oh, I'll be sure to let you hear," the brunette said with a wink, pleased to have diffused the tension.

"So you think I'm hot?" Adri asked, the word sounding foreign in her mouth.

"Oh yeah, definitely. Quite possibly the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Adri sucked in a breath, her heart fluttering.

"Do you mean that?"

"Of course," Savannah said, wondering not for the first time what had been done to her girlfriend to make her doubt herself. "Now would my incredibly beautiful girlfriend like to test out this collar?"

Once again, Adri ignored the surge of arousal that shot through her, though it was harder since she had felt the girl's lips on her own. She played it off with a smirk, seizing the opportunity to poke fun at the wolf.

"Of course, but just because you're posing as a beast doesn't mean you get to act like one."

"And just how would I do that?"

"By growling at anyone that you deem to be 'too close' to me."

"Since when have I done that?"

"Does last week at the library ring any bells?"

Savannah blushed as she recalled how she had startled the college boys that had been eying Adri a little too closely.

"I didn't like the way they were looking at you," she said sulkily, bringing a chuckle out of the redhead.

"You don't like the way half the people in this town look at me." she shot back playfully.

The girl grumbled something under her breath that resembled "Mine," and Adri had the common sense not to press. Instead she turned and picked up the (purposefully short) lead that matched the collar. She waved it teasingly.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Savannah sighed, shifting and trying not to sulk.

Adri attached it and practically beamed with happiness.

… **..**

Savannah decided, later on after she'd suitably terrorized half the town, that if being walked on a leash like a common pet made her girlfriend happy then she'd gladly comply if for nothing but to see her smile, though she could do without the jokes afterward. Even then, she mused as she allowed the redhead to lie across her and doze, it was worth it.

* * *

Ethan was not pleased. Though he rarely saw or spoke to his daughter, much to his displeasure, he wasn't oblivious, nor was he stupid. He could smell the monster on her whenever she bothered to come home, and the scent lingered in the air far longer than he'd like. He couldn't even pass the doorway to her room without gagging, it was so prevalent.

He moped around the house, successfully annoying his wife to the point that she threatened to buy him an actual doghouse to sleep in. He was more subtle about expressing his opinions after that, though he couldn't hide his growing joy as the day he had been waiting for for months drew near. He could sense his friends closing in, could feel their magic pulse more strongly the closer they drew to his domain. Marissa had only dared to ask once what he was so happy about.

"I have a few friends coming for a visit," he answered nonchalantly.

Something about his answer put her on edge, though she wasn't sure if it was because of the way he said "friends" or the fact that they never had anyone over. She settled on the second, a pool of dread forming in the pit of her stomach. She decided to keep calm, hoping she was overreacting due to the tension that had invaded the house for months.

"Oh, do I know them?" she asked.

"No, I don't think so. They're some guys I grew up with, back before we knew each other."

That alone told her that whatever the outcome of the meeting would be it wouldn't be pleasant. She hummed noncommittally, keeping her calm façade.

"That's nice. When should I expect them?"

"Anytime now. We didn't settle on exact date, conflicting schedules and all that, but they'll definitely be here before the thirty-first."

"Alight, dear. Just let me know when you find out when they'll arrive."

Ethan agreed, pleased to have kept his secret, though he suspected she thought something was amiss. No matter, in less than two weeks the whole mess would be resolved and he'd have his family back, _normal_ , just like before.

* * *

Marissa was worried. Not only for her daughter, but because she just knew deep down that something was going to happen, something horrible. She suspected it had something to do with Adrianna Jeepers, though what she didn't know, and didn't _want_ to know. Her main priority was her daughter's happiness, which if she was correct was in jeopardy.

She may not like the red headed Vampire, but she couldn't deny that her daughter had blossomed since she had begun seeing the woman. She wasn't blind, she knew they were together, and though she disagreed not only with Savannah's sexual orientation but her choice of partner she didn't want to see her daughter revert to the hollow shell she had become for a few months after she'd accidentally come out. Since about May she'd been slowly returning to the world of the living, and recently she positively glowed with happiness. Who was she to take that away from her, different though it may be?

She'd had several weeks to think after Savannah's little slip up and their subsequent argument, and she'd decided that she could at least support her daughter even if she would have preferred her date a boy her own age. She'd been trying to subtly communicate as much when the teenager was home, though she wasn't sure if she was succeeding. She also knew that her husband would rather pluck out his fur one hair at a time before he accepted their child's choice of partner, but she hoped that with time he could learn to at least tolerate the woman for Savannah's sake. She doubted it, but she could hope.

Regardless, she would allow it, because it made her child happy, beyond happy actually, more like euphoric, and to her, that was all that mattered. Shouldn't that be enough for Ethan too?


	17. Like a Warrior

Summer was winding down, the stores beginning to sell school supplies and the teachers were readying themselves for the start of a new term. Unfortunately, this meant that Savannah and Adri's time together was short, and thus when one of Savannah's neighbors asked her to babysit their eight month old daughter she hesitated, hedged on the fence. She wanted to, wanted to prove that she was responsible enough to handle such a task, but also didn't want to miss any time she could spend with her girlfriend before they had to hide who they were, what they were. Ultimately, it was Adrianna who made the decision for her.

"Just go, you'll enjoy it," Adri argued, sick of seeing her girlfriend worry about such a trivial thing.

"I can't," Savannah responded, shaking her head and making her tag flash in the low light of the room. She never took the collar off except to shower, and Adri would admit with little persuasion how thrilled she was that she had a physical claim to the girl. "It's only a few days until we have to start hiding who we are and I don't want to miss a second that I can share with you." She growled in frustration, the sound distinctly animalistic, before beginning to pace. "But I really do wanna do it! Lexi is so cute and sweet and if I can watch her for a few hours maybe I'll be able to do it part time during school? Ugh I just don't know!"

She began pacing faster, her form beginning to flicker around the edges as a result of her anxiety. Adri watched her for a few minutes, sharp eyes following her frantic movements with ease before she'd had enough. She stood, blocking her path and causing shocked ice flecks to snap up to her face. She put her hands on her shoulders, forcing her to still completely.

"Savannah, you want to do this, right?"

"Well yeah, but-"

"Then you're going to do it."

"But I also want to spend time with you!" she nearly whined, aggravation more than obvious.

Adri smirked, finding the childish behavior endearing.

"Just tell them you'll do it, and don't worry about anything else. Promise me you'll go."

"But-"

"Promise."

"I promise," Savannah responded, though it was sulky and annoyed.

Inwardly rolling her eyes, Adri decided she'd had enough of the moody teenager her girlfriend was being at the moment, and leaned in and kissed her. It was fairly quick as far as kisses went, but she felt Savannah practically melt against her and the tension leave her frame. She pulled back, pleased to see the brunette had relaxed and seemed calmer.

"Are you done?" she asked, amusement flooding her tone.

The girl had the decency to blush, her eyes dropping in her embarrassment.

"Yeah," she murmured.

Adri beamed, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. Savannah's eyes came back up to meet her own, though this time there was a question in her gaze. The older woman simply shrugged.

"You're cute when you're moody," was all she offered by way of explanation before walking away. The brunette stood dumbfounded for a few seconds before the woman's voice floated back to her. "Don't forget to make that call!"

Snapping out of it, she headed to the kitchen to do just that, a peace finally settling over her and in her heart.

* * *

August twenty-sixth was a beautiful day. Neither gave a fuck.

The beginning of the last week before school started, Adri and Savannah were unable to see each other due to various things, including back to school shopping and teacher workdays. Neither were very happy with the arrangement, but accepted that it had to be done, not only to keep their relationship undercover but to prepare for the coming year wherein they wouldn't be able to see each other frequently. That didn't mean either was over the moon about it. In fact, by the time Savannah was scheduled to babysit they hadn't seen each other in three days. That, added to the separation anxiety made her more nervous than normal, so any joy she would have gained was overshadowed.

Nonetheless she headed over to the Abbott's house at six o'clock sharp as promised, pushing her nerves to the back of her mind. The parents greeted her warmly, giving her a list of numbers and instructions to call them should anything happen. They left in a flurry of excitement, pleased for the chance to have night to themselves. She closed the door after them, taking a deep breath and walking into the other room where the child was in her bouncer. As she moved she ran her eyes down the list of contacts and emergency numbers, her eyes catching one that seemed vaguely familiar. About that time Lexi began to wail, causing her focus to shift immediately.

She quickly crossed to the bouncer, carefully scooping the child out and cradling her as she had been shown.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" she cooed in a slightly higher pitched baby voice.

The baby continued to wail, her little face growing redder by the second. Keeping calm, Savannah shifted her hold so that she could pull away the small sunshine yellow pants the child wore to check her diaper. It was dry and clean, no sign of an accident, for which Savannah was relieved. Lexi's screams continued, beginning to rise in pitch, and the teenager winced, the sound grating on her ears due to her advanced hearing.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, though she knew the kid had just been fed a mere hour before. Regardless, she headed into the kitchen, bouncing the little girl on her hip as she pulled out some milk from the fridge and warmed it up. "Almost done, yes it is." she said, though she doubted the baby could hear her over her own screams.

She pulled the bottle out of the microwave in relief when it beeped, quickly squirting a few drops on her wrist to double check the temperature. Pleased that it was fine, she attempted to feed the child, only for her to turn her head and continue wailing. She repeated the action, this time getting the bottle knocked out of her hand for her effort. Beginning to panic, she picked it up and cleaned off the nipple, trying again and hoping she would be receptive the third time.

She had no such luck, as the bottle was once again swatted from her grasp, though this time the lid somehow came off, coating them both in a shower of milk. Savannah froze in shock for a split second, and even Lexi quieted, before resuming her crying at an impossibly louder volume. Feeling like crying herself, Savannah grabbed some paper towels and cleaned the quickly drying liquid off the little girl's face and out of her blond curls. She then began walking the length of the house and humming, remembering from somewhere that motion often helped calm fussy babies. After about ten minutes it became obvious that Lexi was not one of the aforementioned children.

By now her face looked like a little tomato, and she had a mixture of tears and snot running down her face, despite the brunette's best efforts to clean her up. Hiccups soon developed, and the sound was so pitiful it broke Savannah's heart. Tears welling in her own eyes at her ineptitude, she picked up the phone and called the only person she could think of that would help her.

 **…..**

Adri, thankfully, found herself mostly prepared for the incoming freshmen she was going to be dealing with in the coming year. She had already planned out the seating chart, begun familiarizing herself with their names, and was attempting to plot out her first week's lessons when the phone rang. Stretching and wincing when her back protested, she answered the phone, pulling the receiver away from her ear when the screams of an infant answered her.

"Hello? Who is this?" she repeated, unable to hear a response for the crying.

"Adri, it's me. Please help!" the voice on the line begged, and her emerald eyes widened as she recognized Savannah's voice.

"Savannah? What's wrong? Why is there screaming?"

"It's Lexi, please come help me! I've been here forty-five minutes and I can't make her stop crying!"

Hearing the fear and tears in her girlfriend's voice, she said the only thing she could.

"I'll be there in five minutes."

"Thank you!" Savannah gushed, beyond relieved.

Smiling, Adri ended the call, glancing at her unfinished work and flicking off the light before grabbing her purse and heading out the door.

 **…..**

When Savannah answered the door, Adri was unsurprised to note the frazzled look about her and the pure terror in her eyes. She was, however, shocked to see both females were wet and smelled of milk. She calmly dropped her purse on the entrance table as her girlfriend described everything she'd tried so far to calm the baby, remaining eerily calm even though the screeching was hurting her ears just as much as it was Savannah's. When the girl finished her explanation with a "thank you so much I just don't know what to do", she reached over and calmly plucked the child out of her arms, settling her against her chest and rocking her gently.

Savannah watched, entranced, as Lexi slowly calmed, her cries turning into sniffles before her puffy hazel eyes locked onto her girlfriend's face. Adri smiled at the baby and began cooing to her in Romanian, never stopping rocking her.

"Hush, _puțin unul. E în regulă, e în regulă. Te-am prins. Asta e, calmează-te_." Savannah herself felt soothed by the sound, and judging by the baby's even breathing and silence she did, too. Satisfied that Lexi wouldn't instantly begin wailing the moment she sat her down, Adri turned to Savannah, blushing when she saw the adoring look she was being given. "What?" she asked, unconsciously shifting the baby.

"Nothing," Savannah replied, her eyes never leaving the child in the woman's arms. "Nothing."

Adri narrowed her eyes slightly, not entirely convinced.

"Where's the nursery? She really should be changed into some clean clothes."

Ignoring the urge to facepalm at her own stupidity, the brunette led her to the back of the house and into a pale purple bedroom. She leaned against the wall as she watched her girlfriend pick a new outfit for the child, a small grin making its way onto her face as the redhead brought peals of laughter out of the baby by blowing raspberries on her tummy. Adri practically glowed with happiness as she cradled the baby, and Savannah wouldn't deny she looked good with the girl. It suited her somehow, and she wondered if one day she'd be open to having children.

She shut down her train of thought as Adri picked up the baby and turned, still emanating pure happiness. She walked with her into the living room, where Adri insisted that she hold Lexi once again. Nervously, she did as she was told, her muscles tensing as the baby began to whimper. The woman came up behind her, holding her from behind and showing her how to subtly change the position she was using.

"It's because you're nervous. She can sense your fear and she's reacting to it," Adri breathed in her ear, propping her chin on her left shoulder so she could look at the baby. "Just relax. Once you're comfortable holding her she'll calm down."

She tried, she really did, to listen to her girlfriend, but she just couldn't. What if she dropped her? Adri noticed and stepped around to face her, cat-like eyes locking on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"What if I drop her?" Savannah whispered, her eyes never leaving the baby, who to give her credit, had yet to start screaming.

"You won't drop her," Adri said firmly, reaching out and gripping her arm.

"But-"

"You'll be fine. Besides, I'm here if you need any help."

Savannah smiled for the first time all night, a weight lifting off her shoulders. As soon as she relaxed Lexi did too, grinning and smiling, though before long she was reaching out for Adri to hold her. The brunette handed her over, wary of setting off another series of screams. Adri took her, the happy glow returning. They settled on the couch, Adri cooing to and playing with the baby, and Savannah pretending to watch tv. In reality she watched the woman, who was probably the most relaxed outside of her own home she had ever seen her.

She shook a stuffed toy at the baby that had a little bell in it, drawing a peal of laughter from the little girl. Adri laughed too, the sound gentler than usual but no less genuine. A smile was constantly on her face, lighting up her eyes and allowing the girl to see the faint laugh lines by her mouth. Holding the child, she was even more stunning than usual.

Adri looked up and caught Savannah staring, but she didn't question her. She assumed it was because the sight of her with an infant was so unusual, but she would admit she enjoyed it. Savannah did have the decency to look away, absentmindedly flipping through the channels as a distraction. She couldn't help the little pangs of jealousy that shot through her as she continued to shoot glances at the redhead and blonde, noticing how the child was pressed against Adri's chest, and immediately felt stupid. She could feel her girlfriend's gaze on her every so often, and knew that once Lexi had put down for the night they were going to have a very embarrassing talk.

* * *

Ethan was nearly jumping for joy. Tonight was the night, he could feel it. His senses were telling him his friends would be in the town limits before midnight, and then he could set his plan into motion. What made it even better was that Savannah had taken that babysitting job and wouldn't be anywhere near the blood sucker, giving him yet another advantage beyond greater numbers. He practically skipped home, which did admittedly garner him some confused glances, but he didn't care.

Marissa kept a wide berth from him, sensing something was going to happen. She tried asking him about it a few times, but ultimately lost her nerve each time his slightly psychotic gaze met her own. She loved her husband, she really did, but she sincerely hoped that he would change his mind about whatever he was planning. She was so tense that the ringing of the phone made her jump, and Ethan's mad dash to answer it only made her more skeptical that he "wasn't up to anything" and that he and his friends "were just getting together for some drinks and a night out". She sighed as she heard him answer, pushing away the majority of her dinner, having lost her appetite.

"Hello?" Ethan said, his wary and guarded tone giving way to one of pure joy and excitement. "Excellent! Alright, here's the plan: we'll meet at the corner of Delaware Boulevard, just outside of her house. From there, we wait until she heads out for her nightly killing spree, and then we ambush her." There was a pause, in which he grew incredibly irritated. "Of course we'll win! It's five against one, not even she can walk away from that.

No, Savannah will not be anywhere near her. She took a babysitting job for the night and shouldn't be alerted of anything if we move quickly enough. Exactly. I'll see you at nine o'clock then, don't be late."

The conversation, hushed though it was, floated into the dining room, and as Marissa heard her husband outlining his plans for the evening her face flushed. She hoped her baby girl knew what she was doing.

* * *

It hadn't been long after they'd settled on the couch that Lexi grew fussy, though this was more from a dirty diaper than colic. Adri had calmly carried her into the nursery, Savannah trailing behind, and changed her diaper before putting the then yawning child into her onesie and requesting a bottle. Savannah had rushed to ready one, double checking the lid before handing it over. The redhead had accepted it calmly, and to the girl's immense annoyance convinced Lexi to take it without so much as a whimper.

She watched her girlfriend feed her, noting the way Lexi stared into her eyes the entire time. It almost felt like she was intruding, the moment was so intense, but it was also strangely beautiful so that she found herself unable to look away. She soon found that to a child nearly a year old six ounces was nothing, and before long Adri was gently tapping her back to burp her. That done, she sat back down in the rocking chair, at first humming and then singing in a hauntingly alluring voice. At that point Savannah was unsure if the woman remembered she was also in the room, but she didn't mind, far too entranced with her apparently hidden talent to care.

" _Lavandă lui albastru, dilly dilly,verde lavandă lui_ ," Adri began slowly, and Savannah immediately realized the song was in Romanian. " _Atunci când ești rege, dilly dilly, Voi fi regina. Cine ți-a spus acest lucru, dilly dilly, cine ți-a spus asta? Twas propria mea inimă, dilly dilly, asta mi-a spus acest lucru._ " She took a breath, and Savannah found herself leaning forward in anticipation. " _Apelați prietenii, dilly, dilly, setați-le să lucreze._

 _Unele plug, dilly dilly, unele la furcă. La unele fân, dilly dilly, unele treiera de porumb În timp ce tu și cu mine, dilly dilly, păstrați-ne cald. Lavandă lui albastru, dilly dilly, verde lavandă lui. Atunci când ești rege, dilly,dilly, Voi fi regina. Cine ți-a spus acest lucru, dilly dilly, cine ți-a spus asta? Twas propria mea inimă, dilly dilly, asta mi-a spus asta_."

As the song ended and the last notes hung in the room Savannah had to forcibly close her mouth, the shock of what had just happened leaving her immobile. As she collected her wits, Adri stood carefully and placed Lexi into her crib, backing away quietly and dragging Savannah out by the hand as she went, making sure to grab the second baby monitor on the way. She sat them both back on the couch, placing the baby monitor on the coffee table, before turning to the still stunned brunette and raising an eyebrow.

"So, are you going to tell me why you've been staring?" she asked.

Savannah snapped out of it, a blush rising on her cheeks for what felt like the millionth time that night.

"It's nothing," she murmured, unwilling to admit to her jealousy.

"I know you probably weren't expecting me to be able to handle the baby, but despite the popular opinion of my students I'm not a frigid bitch," Adri said, her tone jagged and radiating hurt.

"What? No! I know that, I was just surprised at how good you were with her. And...you were beautiful."

The woman drew back in shock, the response not the one she had expected.

"I...what?" was all she managed to stutter out.

"When you were holding her you glowed. You were happy, relaxed, softer, gorgeous, and I loved it. That's why I couldn't look away." She paused, averting her eyes, her blush darkening and spreading down her chest. "And I was jealous," she muttered, and had Adri not had heightened hearing she would have missed it entirely.

She blinked, her mind taking a moment to process the statement before she burst out laughing. Savannah huffed, crossing her arms and sulking.

"You were jealous of an infant?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Maybe," the girl mumbled, the tone petulant.

Adrianna lost it again, laughing until her ribs hurt and tears made their way down her cheeks.

"W-why?" she gasped out, trying to calm down. The brunette said something, but it was so quiet she couldn't make it out. "What?"

"I said it was because she got to touch your boobs!" Savannah nearly yelled, successfully sending her girlfriend into another round of giggles.

The sound sent her back to brooding, and when Adri finally regained complete control of herself she felt slightly guilty for upsetting the girl.

"Oh darling, I'm sorry. But you have to admit, being jealous of a baby is a little bit funny." Savannah didn't respond, and she began to feel a bit guilty. She slid over, hugging her, secretly pleased that not only did she feel comfortable showing her affection now, but that the girl found her so attractive. "I really am sorry," she apologized again, missing the softening of the brunette's features.

Savannah wrapped her arms around the redhead, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Nah, you're right, it was silly. But come on Adri, I told you you're fucking hot. How do you expect me not to be just a little jealous?"

Grinning, Adri lifted her head and kissed her, before pulling back and stealing the remote, though she didn't move from the position at her side. She flicked through the channels until she came across what appeared to be an interesting movie, and they settled in to watch, Savannah content to spend time with the woman she had missed so deeply.

 **…..**

The night carried on smoothly, Lexi only waking once, and Savannah actually managed to deal with it and not screw up, of which she was incredibly proud. They'd finished their movie around eight-forty-five, and it wasn't long after that the Abbotts arrived back home. Initially, Savannah had paled considerably at the thought of them coming home and finding her there with her girlfriend of all people, though she was more concerned with them wondering why she was there than them figuring out what was going on between them. Adri worried momentarily that the girl would faint if the chalkiness of her skin was anything to go by, but then she exploded into a frenzied explanation and apology that made her bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

Knowing of the fear the younger woman harbored about watching the child, she'd called the Abbott's, who she knew in passing, and informed them of the situation. They'd understood, and in leaving out minute (or not so small) details, she'd convinced them that she was somewhat of a mentor to the girl. She may or may not have also mentioned that she was quite gifted with children, babies in particular, to seal the deal. And an enchantment was most certainly not involved, definitely not. (It was).

"Dear, we know all about Mrs. Jeepers," Mrs. Abbott said in what she thought was a soothing manner, but all it did was cause the girl to pale further, turning her skin ashy gray as she began to panic about people knowing about their relationship. "Savannah?"

"Savannah," Adri said in what had been dubbed her 'teacher tone', causing the brunette to focus on her immediately. "She meant she knew that I would be here."

The relief that painted the girl's face was nearly comic, had she not been able to guess at and understand why she had been panicking. Savannah sighed in relief, turning back to Mrs. Abbott.

"So, you knew? You're not mad?"

"Of course not. We understand perfectly well how nerve wracking it can be to care for a child, especially if it's your first time doing so. We're just glad Mrs. Jeepers was kind enough to give you a hand. I suppose you saw her number on the sheet I gave you?"

Well that explained why that phone number had been so familiar.

"Uh yeah, I did. Thanks for that, by the way."

"You're welcome. Now how was she?"

She told her about the crying fit, how nervous she was, and how that led to calling the redhead.

"Other than that she was an angel."

"Wonderful, I'm so glad you got things smoothed out," Mrs. Abbott said, removing twenty dollars from her purse.

She handed it to Savannah, who seemed shocked at the amount, before thanking her and taking her leave. Adri followed soon after, meeting her on the sidewalk and giving her a smirk.

"They knew?"

"In a way. I may have used some unconventional methods to convince them to allow me to help," she answered, her eyes flashing viridian in the low light of the street lamps.

"So you hypnotized them," Savannah deadpanned.

Adri gasped, pretending to be affronted.

"I did no such thing!" Savannah quirked an eyebrow, bringing a smile out of the woman. "Okay, so I may have influenced them a tiny bit."

Rolling her eyes but grinning, the girl reached out and lightly punched the woman in the shoulder.

"You are insane, you dork."

Adri looked at her with an overly innocent expression.

"But I'm your dork."

Savannah laughed, reaching over and drawing the giggling redhead to her side and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Yeah, you're right. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

They set off down the street hand in hand, the understanding that they would drop their belongings at the Clancy Estate before hunting going unspoken.

* * *

Ethan stood on the corner of Delaware Boulevard at precisely eight-fifty-nine glaring at his watch in anticipation. Just as he was about to howl in frustration, he heard rustling in the bushes behind him and turned to see four wolves of varying colors and sizes emerge. The largest one by far was stormy gray, amber eyes shining in excitement. Two others of medium size were both sandy brown in color, one possessing brown eyes and the other green. The last wolf was dove gray, nearly white, and had pitch black eyes. Though smaller than the others, Ethan knew that he'd be his biggest asset. He smirked before shifting into his own form, completing the gathering.

They formed a circle, Ethan at the head, and he began explaining what had been going on for the past year.

"As you know, there is a Vampire living here. That's bad enough, but what's worse, she's placed a spell on my daughter bewitching her into liking her." There were snarls of disapproval and anger. "My daughter actually believes she's in love with the monster."

"Impossible!" the larger gray wolf snarled. "We all know those creatures are incapable of love!"

"I know, Marcus," Ethan responded, the calmest he'd been all night. "But Savannah is young and only recently begun to shift. She's vulnerable, and that monster took advantage of it."

"So what are we going to do?" the sandy wolf with green eyes questioned.

"Yeah, we're gonna at least maim her right?" the other asked, his tone slightly insane.

"Isn't it obvious?" the silver wolf asked. "We're going to kill her, and make sure any others that may be around are aware of it."

Ethan nodded.

"Samuel is correct. I've dealt with this long enough, and we all know she shouldn't have survived this long." He turned to the two nearly identical wolves. "Collin and Jason, you two flank the sides, make a barrier so she can't escape. Marcus, you get behind her and push her inward. Samuel, you know what to do." He nodded. "I'll take point. We'll stalk her through the woods as she hunts, and then when I give the signal, two sharp howls, we ambush her."

"What about your daughter?" Samuel, ever practical, spoke up. "When we last spoke on the phone you told me she believed the demon was her Intended." Indignant and angry growls forced him to pause. "Will she be with her? If so, how should we detain her?"

"You are correct, but it shouldn't be a problem. Savannah took a babysitting job tonight and should still be engaged as this is taking place."

"Alright, but on the off chance she isn't?"

"Then you let me handle her," Ethan said, startling the others with the darkness of his tone.

"As you wish."

Samuel had seen a lot of things in his life, many unpleasant, thus he was not easily unsettled. However, the tone Ethan took when speaking of his child, that disturbed him, and he worried that if it came down to it his friend would kill her. He hoped for the girl's sake that she stayed far away from the woods.

* * *

As they drew nearer to Adri's house Savannah felt a wave of unease wash over her. She tensed, barely listening to her girlfriend chatter on about how anxious she was for the new school year to begin. She could feel eyes on them, what felt like multiple sets, and by the time they had reached the front door of the crumbling mansion she was practically bristling with agitation. Her eyes were nearly glowing, and she was straining to prevent herself from shifting. That was the last thing they needed, to reveal themselves if it was just some passersby, though something deep within told her she was right to feel so paranoid.

Adri noticed her unease as she slid her key into the lock, her own eyes flashing as she followed the girl's gaze across the street.

"What's wrong?" she whispered.

"Nothing, nothing. Go inside, I'll join you in a minute," Savannah replied, never once turning to face the redhead,

Slightly afraid, as she too felt there was something amiss, she did as she was told, able to tell that the brunette had gone into Guard mentality. That alone let her know that something was outside, what she didn't know, but she knew it couldn't be good if it had both of them on edge.

Savannah remained on the porch long enough to hone in on the bushes across the street, sharpening her sight and smell as she had learned to do without fully transforming. She couldn't see anything awry, though she was picking up on an unusual smell that set her on edge even more so than she already was. She growled quietly but menacingly, letting whatever was lurking in the bushes know that she was deadly and unafraid to take it on. Satisfied but still upset, she headed into the house, making sure to bolt the heavy lock behind her.

* * *

Ethan had snarled quietly when he caught sight of Savannah and Adrianna making their way down the street toward them. He'd thought she would be at the Abbott's until much later, but it appeared he was incorrect. That just served to create a problem for him, as he knew she'd fight them to protect the beast. He heard Jason nearly pounce out of the bushes as he too spotted them, but then a soft scuffle sounded and he knew the others had subdued him.

"Not yet!" he hissed, crouching lower to the ground as he noticed Savannah stiffen. "Everyone get back, she knows something's wrong!"

They backed up as a whole, waiting uneasily as she examined the area, even once looking directly at them. Luckily for them they had retreated so far that she couldn't clearly pick up on their individual scents without being in her wolf form, though Ethan knew tracking them would now prove more difficult. He waited until she had gone into the house before venturing forth, directing the group to fan out and watch the house from all sides. He himself took position just inside the border of the woods, eyes on the ancient back door as he waited for them to emerge.

Luckily for him, he didn't have to wait very long. As soon as the two disappeared into the woods to his left and had a decent lead he started after them, knowing that the rest of his friends would know to follow and meet up with him.

* * *

Savannah hadn't truly wanted to go back out, but what could she do? Adri was hungry, and she couldn't very well keep her from eating lest she make her sick. So before they left she warned the woman to stay close, and to always remain in front of her. She had agreed, appearing a little shaken, but Savannah knew that if push came to shove and they were somehow separated Adri could defend herself until she found her. Not that she thought the woman wasn't powerful enough to hold her own in a fight, she just had a feeling that whatever was lurking outside was more than one person could handle alone.

She shifted before they left the safety of the house, feeling more than ever the weight of the tag on her chest. As they headed through the woods her anxiety grew, the feeling that something wasn't right enveloping her to the point that she nearly turned them around, only barely holding back because she knew that they'd never make it. So she trailed Adri closer than she normally would have, her keen hearing picking up on the sounds of twigs snapping all around them, knowing that Adri could most likely hear it, too.

Adrianna for her part was nervous, that she wouldn't deny. If whatever was following them was enough to make Savannah remain two paces behind her then she knew they were truly in danger. True, she could definitely fight if the need arose, but she wasn't built as a fighter, not with her slim figure and slight weight. And the fact that rustling surrounded them told her that there was more than one creature trailing them, and that spelled trouble. She could smell them, barely, but she thought they were wolves, and if that was the case they might not make it out of the woods alive. She just wondered if Savannah had realized that yet.

They came upon a clearing after about thirty minutes of fruitless hunting, and they stopped to rest, the hike taking a toll on Adri since it had been a while since she'd last fed. She sat against a tree, straining her hearing for any signs of the deer that were usually plentiful. She heard nothing, a strange stillness settling over the forest that seemed deafening and signalled danger. Savannah felt it too, and crouched in front of her, snarling quietly, eyes sweeping over the tree line. For a split second she caught sight of amber eyes glaring out at her, and then chaos erupted around them.

 **…..**

Ethan knew, as soon as they stopped, that it was time. He could feel his pulse speed up, knew the others could feel the tension in the air just as he could, and when he saw his daughter stare into the treeline directly at Marcus and snarl, well, he knew they couldn't wait any longer. He howled the signal and they moved as one, forming a half circle in front of the two.

He watched in satisfaction as the Vampire's eyes widened and her face paled, obviously not expecting so many of them. Savannah, to her credit, never backed down, merely puffed up her fur and growled louder, the sound an obvious warning. He didn't care. He knew he could easily take her down, and after that nothing prevented the five of them from ripping the redheaded demon to shreds.

 **…..**

Two short howls erupted into the air, breaking the stillness, and Savannah had just enough time to widen her eyes before she was faced with five snarling wolves, all bigger than her. She didn't allow that phase her, merely growling more deeply in her chest and fluffing herself up. It took her a moment, focused as she was on keeping Adri safe, to notice that the leader of the little pack was her father. In her shock, the growl cut off in her throat, her legs nearly giving out from under her. She had never, in a million years, expected this from her father, though she knew he hated the woman behind her.

"Daddy," she whispered, the word conveying just how broken she was at his betrayal.

She felt Adri tense up behind her as she slid into a standing position, and she knew she was piecing everything together.

"Savannah," Ethan responded, his tone cold but neutral.

"Why?" she asked, tears springing to her eyes.

"Because she's a monster. She doesn't deserve to exist, none of her kind do." He took a deep breath, visibly trying to reign in his anger. When he next spoke it was calm, the tone robotic and the words rehearsed. "Come here, and forget this whole thing. Or better yet go home, deny you ever saw us."

She shook her head, taking a step away from him.

"No, I love her, and if need be I'll die for her."

"Savannah!" Ethan snapped, "You don't know what you're doing! She's hypnotized you, made you believe these things!"

"No she hasn't. Adrianna is the most beautiful person, inside and out, that I've ever known." She felt anger beginning to curl in her belly, the coils tight."And if you can't accept that then I want nothing more to do with you."

"You don't understand what you're saying," her father growled.

"Yes I do."

"So be it," he whispered, taking the first step.

Savannah growled, her ears flattening against her skull.

 **…..**

As soon as five Shifters sprang into the clearing, Adri knew they were fucked. There was no way they could win if they were so unevenly matched, but she was determined to try. She slowly gripped the tree trunk and slid into a standing position, her eyes sweeping the group and locking on Savannah and a cinnamon brown wolf who appeared to be having a conversation. Something stirred in the recesses of her mind, pointing out to her that this was no ordinary Shifter. She was forced to abandon the thought when it advanced, causing Savannah to begin to exude power.

She pushed her fear to the back of her mind. If they were going to fight she needed to focus, no matter how badly the anxiety clawed at her back. She accessed her own magic, feeling it wrap around her in a comforting embrace. Whenever they attacked, she'd be ready.

 **…..**

"Do not come any closer," Savannah snarled, her voice gaining an echo. He took another step, and her eyes began to glow. "I will destroy you," she said, allowing her inner Guard to fully take over.

"We'll see," Ethan said with a smirk.

Before she could blink he was on top of her, biting, clawing, tearing. She yelped, shocked at the sudden attack, before rage filled her and caused her to snap back, luck allowing her to catch his ear. She ripped, feeling blood splatter her face and flesh come away within her teeth. He yipped, apparently just as surprised as she was that she would harm him. Taking advantage of his sudden break of concentration, she kicked outward, sending him flying.

She pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the bite marks on her shoulders, and turned to locate her girlfriend. She froze as she caught sight of her, the mere power she was exuding stunning. She could feel the magic thicken the air as Adri used it to strengthen her blows and deepen her slashes, sending the two identical wolves tumbling to the ground. Her eyes glowed a vibrant green, no longer cat-like but otherworldly, and her usual grace was amplified tenfold. She threw a large gray wolf several feet away with the ease of throwing a ball, and for the first time Savannah saw her true power, saw how dangerous she could truly be.

She was about to join the fray when she noticed a slightly smaller and lighter gray wolf circling behind the woman, but before she could attack she found herself flying through the air and colliding with a tree trunk. She saw stars, the world blurring around her, only to come back to herself when razor sharp fangs dug into her right shoulder and ripped downward. She howled in pain, feeling the attacker release and move back, most likely deciding on another point of attack. She tried to get up, to move, to _get away_ , but the sharp burning pain of what was most likely a torn muscle sent her crashing back to earth. She landed heavily on her belly, whimpering quietly, and felt her attacker hesitate.

She turned her head, unsurprised to see her father. He looked torn, but she knew that if he'd already injured her so severely he wouldn't stop until she was dead or dying. Adri's cry of pain drew her attention, and sent her scrambling to her feet, shoulder pain forgotten. The silver wolf she'd seen earlier had jumped on her from the back, teeth latching into the space between her shoulder blades. She was struggling under his weight, not to mention having to keep the other three away as she tried to dislodge him. She glanced at her father out of the corner of her eye, seeing him shake his head and crouch in preparation for a jump. She waited until the last second before springing out of the way, causing him to collide head-on with the tree and knocking him out cold. She hoped he'd remain that way for a while.

Forcing herself up, she ignored the pain as the sound of her love's screams rang in her ears. She saw red, propelling herself through the air with strength she was unaware she possessed. She slammed into the silver wolf, sinking her teeth into the back of his neck without a second thought. He yelped, thus releasing his hold on Adri's back. She stumbled forward, blood running down her back from the holes, and fell to her knees.

The other three wolves jumped forward as one, and Savannah just had time to glimpse fire red hair disappear beneath three large bodies. An emotion more wild than anger and rooted deeper than rage burst forth, and she lost control. She was no longer a human girl turned wolf, she was first and foremost an animal, a beast, a monster that was protecting her mate, her other half. She unclamped her jaw, prepared for the immediate slash of fangs across her muzzle, but she didn't feel it. Her blue eyes were slowly turning red from the pupil outward to the edge of the iris.

When she turned her head back to face the elder male, he felt control on his bladder slip, for he had never in all his years seen such a terrifying sight as Savannah in that instant. She no longer looked of the earth, but of another realm entirely. He whimpered nearly silently before he glimpsed a flash of white and suddenly he saw the world stained red. In that instant, just before the pain and realization that he had just lost an eye hit, he knew with utmost certainty that they were going to lose.

Savannah spat out the blood that tainted her mouth, lowering her head and headbutting her opponent off his feet. The sounds of battle met her ears, yelps and whimpers intermingled with gasps and screams, and she knew that Adri wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. She tread to where the older male lay, panting and whimpering, on his back, and struck.

The whole clearing was silenced by Samuel's keening death cry, and the three other males watched, shocked, as the lithe female literally tore him apart.

Flesh, Savannah mused as she ripped open the wolf's chest cavity and stomach, tore much like paper. Dimly, she noticed the sudden silence behind her as she sank her teeth into his vital organs, shredding them like confetti, pulling them from his body, and tossing them like streamers over her shoulder. Blood and bits of flesh coated her muzzle and chest, and she desperately tried to ignore how euphoric it felt to absolutely destroy someone who dared to harm her beloved. It was over in mere seconds, though to the onlookers it felt like hours.

The spell was broken when Jason lunged forward, biting down hard on her left hind leg, the crunch of bone echoing through the clearing. She howled, the sound sharp and tinged with agony, and as if in slow motion the war resumed. Marcus and Collin pounced on Adri, their attacks twice as brutal. Savannah turned, snarling, to face Jason, who, despite his slight insanity, realized he'd made a grave and fatal mistake. She leapt at him, forcing him to stumble over his own paws as he yipped and tried desperately to back away.

Her teeth caught his tail and clamped down, ripping through muscle and shattering bone. He howled, freezing in his retreat. She let go while he was still dazed, jumping on his back and slashing her fangs down the length of it. Her hearing, honed as it was, picked up the sound of muscles popping from bone, blood vessels ripping apart, vital fluid leaking and splattering the ground. She ripped again and again, reveling in his growls and howls of pain, before finally taking mercy and severing his spinal cord. He collapsed underneath her, his legs giving out, and she calmly stepped off him as though he was merely a doormat.

She then turned her attention to the two who were still attacking Adri, who was covered in blood, a mixture of her own and theirs. Savannah watched for a moment, noticing all the subtle signs that her girlfriend was badly hurt. Her movements were a hair slower than they normally would be, though still inhumanly quick, and one of her shoulders was raised slightly above the other, a sure indicator that it was dislocated. Blood dribbled from various cuts and gashes, though she was mostly concerned about the holes in her back and a large wound on her side that was dying the dark purple fabric of her shirt red.

Though she had to admit, her girlfriend gave as good as she got. The other two wolves also sported various lacerations and bite marks, chunks of fur missing here and there where the older woman had used it to anchor herself as they tossed her around. She'd say the odds were roughly the same as to who would fall first, but she was going to make absolutely certain it wasn't Adri.

Sizing up the two remaining wolves, she decided the light brown male was the easiest target, and after that taking down the larger gray wolf would be easy for the two of them. She sprang, catching the male by the throat in mid-air, careful not to puncture his windpipe to ensure his suffering. He went rigid, momentarily shocked by the interference, but soon enough she felt claws tearing into her underbelly, her skin splitting like seams. They landed with her on top, but that quickly changed as he fought for dominance. He pushed her off, resulting in tears in his throat, though they weren't terribly deep due to her loose grip.

Savannah landed heavily on her left side, feeling her already broken leg take on more damage and a few ribs crack. She huffed, too focused to cry out, and forced herself up yet again. Before she was steady Collin was on top of her, teeth flashing and snapping, flesh ripping and bones breaking. She found herself pinned, and for a moment felt a pinprick of fear before noticing that from her angle she had nearly perfect access to his throat. She struggled under his weight, shifting him enough so that she was able to raise her head and close her jaws around his neck, snapping down and feeling her canines puncture his windpipe. She released and lay back, waiting for the inevitable.

Collin froze as his air supply abruptly cut off, leaving him spluttering and attempting to breathe through a mangled airway that was rapidly filling with blood. He stumbled away, Savannah taking a proper breath once his weight was no longer crushing her frame. She sat up, watching him slowly suffocate and choke on his own blood, small shivers of pleasure running down her frame.

She was in pain now, agony if she was being completely honest, the pure adrenaline and rage no longer able to completely mask her injuries. It took her longer than she would have liked to force herself to her feet, her broken leg shaking at having her full weight once again forced on it. Blood poured down her body, most of it her own, lacerations and gashes gushing the liquid like water. Just as she was about to attend to Adri, who was barely able to defend herself, she caught a flicker of movement from her the corner of her eye.

 **…..**

The world was fuzzy as Ethan regained consciousness, and he shook his head in the hope of dispelling the fog and clearing his vision. Once he could see clearly he felt his heart skip a beat at the carnage that surrounded him. Three of his friends were dead, one badly injured, and there was blood everywhere. His eyes landed on the redhead that was somehow still standing, and on his daughter with her teeth stained red and blood running from her fur to pool at her feet. She looked simultaneously enraged and pained, but despite the latter he could feel the power rolling off her in waves.

He pushed himself to his feet shakily, his head spinning after the impact with the tree, and saw a blur of black as his daughter's head whipped to face him.

 **…..**

Savannah growled quietly as she saw her father rise from the ground. She debated attacking first this time, going on the offensive before he could comprehend she was there, but a cry of pain rang from Adri's lips, this one sharper than the others and lasting just a fraction of a second longer. She whipped her head around, eyes widening as blood sprayed from a wound in the juncture of the woman's neck, a little too close to her major veins for her liking. She collapsed, and the wolf she had yet to kill prepared the killing blow. His muscles tensed, rippling with energy as he propelled off the ground, and she was in motion, flying through the air faster than she could comprehend as she slammed into him, burying her teeth deep in his shoulder.

 **…..**

Ethan smirked as best he could as he heard the monster let out a cry of agony before falling to the ground, Marcus immediately jumping on top of her to finish her off. He never landed the killing blow.

Savannah was on top of him so fast it was like watching a snake strike, and before any of them realized what was happening she had ripped a chunk out of his shoulder, the hunk of flesh soaring across the clearing and splattering him with blood. She didn't let up, continuing to rip him apart where he stood, his howls of agony reaching a higher pitch with every strike. He twisted and turned, trying to dislodge her from himself, but she wouldn't let go, merciless in her attack. Blood sprayed everywhere, staining the forest floor an even darker shade of brown.

Ethan dared to creep closer, half horrified and half mystified as he watched a Guard work. Light panting caught his attention, and he noticed the Vampire sprawled on the ground, critically injured, and he realized with an unmeasurable amount of glee that he could finish her off. He approached, careful to keep his steps silent else he alert his daughter and have her turn on him.

 **…..**

Adri looked up as she sensed another approach, blood running into her eyes and obscuring her vision. The fight had been hard on her, and she was in immense pain, no to mention fairly certain she wouldn't be getting up again. Forest green eyes stared down at her, cold and hard, loathing easily visible in the orbs. The wolf's muzzle curled upward in a silent snarl, and she closed her eyes and heaved a quiet sigh of defeat.

She could still hear Savannah fighting the larger wolf a few feet away and knew she couldn't possibly get to her in time should this new wolf decide to attack which, judging by the level of hatred aimed at her, would only be a matter of time. A tear slipped down her face, blood and dirt mixing with the salty water and creating a trail down her cheek. She couldn't bear to face her death head-on and look the Grim Reaper in the face.

The air around her shifted as the wolf tensed and prepared to kill, and she held her breath, waiting for the inevitable.

Only the inevitable never came.

 **…..**

Savannah didn't need to be facing her father to know what he was about to do. She felt the defeat from her girlfriend crash over her like an avalanche and that was enough to have her whirling around and snarling, the sound more menacing than it had been on the long ago night when she'd killed the tracker that had been planning to rape the older woman. She lashed out, teeth clamping on her father's hind leg as she jerked her head to the side, the satisfying sound of the bone popping out of joint meeting her ears. He spun, his leg nearly giving out, and snapped back in retaliation.

She merely swung out with her foreleg, her paw catching him in the jaw and knocking him away, basically back handing him. She used his disorientation to circle around him and stand protectively in front of Adri. He turned to face her, a few teeth missing from the force of her strike.

"You will not touch her," she snarled.

"I will kill her," he answered, leaping forward.

She took his hit head-on, though she angled so that when they fell they'd miss her girlfriend. They tumbled, each battling for dominance. Ethan ended up on top, using his greater weight to pin her on her back, his face looming inches above her own. Savannah didn't hesitate before darting forward biting him on the muzzle, her teeth shredding the sensitive skin and sending him into pained howls. The bone crunched in her grip, though she wasn't satisfied until his blood ran in rivers down his neck. Only then did she release him.

He retaliated by sinking his own teeth into her already maimed belly, deliberately puncturing her vital organs and dealing deadly wounds. She howled, feeling her life beginning to slip from her grasp. Bringing her hind legs up she managed to force him off, regaining her footing as quickly as she could to prevent further damage. She leapt forward before he could recover, teeth and claws slashing without care. She knocked him back, fur flying and growls filling the air. Ethan fought back, though he could slowly feel his strength waning.

A particularly hard kick had him slamming into the ground and sliding, rocks inflicting more damage to his already mutilated body. He lay panting, trying to find the strength to force himself back to his feet but unable to. Savannah approached, lips drawn back in a snarl. With no reluctance to be seen she slit him open from groin to throat, not only slicing him open but actually ripping off a strip of flesh to do so. Her eyes met his as he felt himself beginning to slip. There was none of the love he remembered from when she was a child, no adoration, only merciless calculated hatred.

As if in slow motion she leaned forward, her teeth sinking into his throat before she jerked her head away, taking the majority of his neck with it. Blood gushed forth in a torrent, and even though he knew he was dying he still attempted to breathe, only succeeding in sucking blood into his lungs, thus prolonging his suffering.

Savannah watched as his life giving ichor flowed freely, no remorse to be felt, though she was sure that would come later after she was back in her right mind. As the last bit of life drained from her father's eyes and they glossed over her gaze slid to the one wolf remaining, though if his short raspy pants were any indicator he wouldn't last much longer. Adrenaline waning, she limped over to him, rolling him onto his side before leaning all her weight on his head and snapping his neck. The world quickly going blurry and her vision going black around the edges, she drug herself over to Adri, who had finally passed out from the sheer amount of pain she was in. She collapsed on her right side beside her, allowing the darkness to take her.

The forest remained silent, the smell of copper heavy in the air, and the aura of death lingering and tinging the world black.

* * *

 **Translation: Hush, little one. It's alright, it's alright. I've got you. That's it, calm down.**

 **The song was "Lavender's Blue (Dilly Dilly)"**


End file.
